The Vigilante and the PI
by Lorelei Candice Black
Summary: Veronica Mars moved to Starling City when she left Neptune and, while Oliver was dead, helped Thea and slowly became a big sister figure to her. When Oliver comes back, she and Arrow slowly realize they're on the same team. Veronica is a successful PI and occasional blog writer. Mac, Duncan, Lilly, League of assassins, Keith, Leanne, Diggle,...
1. Who's the Vigilante?

**_Who is the Vigilante?_**

 _Arrow/ Veronica Mars_

 _Arrow: During season 1, an anonymous blogger writes an article about the Vigilante._

 _No Felicity (even though I am a fan of Olicity)._

 _Veronica Mars: After season 3, before the movie. Veronica moved to Starling City where she's a private investigator who writes in a blog called "the Healer" and exposes the rich and famous when they do wrong things. Nobody knows who she is._

 _In this version, Veronica is as good as Mac with a computer (but Mac exists and they're friends)._

 _Veronica helped Thea out of trouble once before Oliver came back and when Season 1 starts, Thea doesn't do drugs anymore and considers Veronica like a big sister. They're very close._

* * *

"Hey Oliver, have you see it?" Thea asked her brother when he came down for breakfast, already thinking about the day he had planned with Diggle.

"Good morning to you too Thea. Yes, I slept well, how about you?" Oliver joked.

"Ha ha, very funny. So, have you seen it?" Thea replied, concentrated on whatever she wanted to tell him.

"Seen what?" Oliver replied with a smile.

"The latest article in _the Healer_." Thea replied.

"I still don't get that name by the way." Oliver chuckled, in a good mood because he had gotten his guy the previous night.

Well, that, and he had witnessed from afar Veronica tasering a low life that was attacking a teenage girl trying to go home.

"It's because exposing these crimes helps heal the city." Thea told her brother.

"I thought Veronica was spending the night, Thea, where is she?" Their mother asked, trying to change the subject to something she approved more than that blog.

She loved having Veronica around, the young woman, who had saved her relationship with her daughter, was always welcome in their house. When Veronica's apartment suffered water damages from a neighbor's broken pipes, the Queen family welcomed her in their house until she could go back to her own place.

"She had a case she needed to work on at the last minute. A big shot client, cheating wife. Lots of easy money." Thea told her mother.

"Oh, that's too bad, I like it when she comes over." Moira replied.

"You do realize that she's my age and not Thea's right?" Oliver asked his mother, surprised but not jealous of the young PI's relationship with his sister.

"It doesn't matter, she's good for our family." Moira smiled.

"Why bother pointing out our age difference, Oliver? Are you jealous? Wishing she was having sleep overs with you maybe?" Thea teased her big brother while her mother rolled her eyes, amused.

"So, what were you talking about Thea?" Oliver asked his sister, changing the subject because though he was able to hide from them that he was the vigilante, he wasn't sure he'd be able to hide for long his attraction for the blond PI.

He liked Veronica. He was grateful for what she had done for his sister and he had to admit that it was hard not to be intrigued by her. He knew a bit about her, most of it by doing research or speaking with his sister. She was a fighter in life and he had to admit that she was attractive. It was easy to forget about his old feelings for Laurel when Veronica was around. She was funny, smart and kind. The perfect combination. She also got along well with his sister and had helped him a couple of time in his nightly activities.

He had come to her a few times for help locating a person or for other things and she had always helped. When she couldn't help on her own, she had directed him to the people she usually went to when she needed something similar. He had tried finding believable excuses each times and he loved the way she looked at him each time. It was a look that said "I know you're lying but I'll pretend I believe you anyway."

Thea was convinced that Oliver and Veronica would make a good couple and she was very insistent about it. He had to admit that he was starting to want it as well. A few times, when he didn't have any urgent vigilante work to do, he'd follow her in her stake outs and make sure she was safe, admiring her way of proceeding. Her PI office was a small one in the glades, in the middle of a run down building that seemed to be hours away from crumbling down. It was all she could afford really but he had often dreamed of combining his headquarters with her office. He felt like they'd be even better together but he didn't want to rush things. He wanted to make sure she'd be ready for this kind of work and that she'd accept his way of doing it.

" _The Healer_. There's a new article on it. It's about the Vigilante." Thea replied excitedly.

The Healer was a blog that was growing very popular in town, especially in the glades.

"What about him?" Oliver asked after exchanging a look with his bodyguard and helping hand on his nights out.

He had often found out that _the Healer_ revealed things about people he was looking to take down, a couple of times it had even helped him get some of the people on his dad's list. He was already intrigued by the person who held this blog but had figured that they were on the same side so he had never tried to find out who wrote it.

"Just go and read it. It's called ' _Who is the Vigilante?_ '. Very interesting, it's going to open lots of eyes." Thea told her brother before she kissed him and her mother goodbye and left for school.

Had he been wrong not to try and find out who that person was? Was he about to be outed by this unknown person he thought was on his side? If that article really told everyone who he was, surely Thea would have said something more. Although the cops would be there already, ready to cuff him once more.

"I don't know why she insists on reading this blog, there's no way of knowing if whatever this person writes is true or not. They just attack rich people and blame the wold's problem on them. Anyway, I have to get going or I'm going to be late, have a nice day Oliver." Moira said before she left the house too.

As soon as she was gone, Oliver and Diggle took their phones out and nervously looked for the newest article, hoping that Oliver wasn't about to get arrested again.

 **"Who is the Vigilante?**

 _You call him the Vigilante, the Hood, the Green Hood or even the Hood Guy (Really, nobody can think of anything better than that?) but nobody knows what his actual name is._

 _I do and once more I'm going to share with you what I know._

 _The Vigilante's your friend, your neighbor, your brother, your uncle, that guy you cross everyday but never speak to, your crush, or even the man who always helps that old lady crossing the street. He's a firefighter, an accountant, a family guy, a single man. He's you, he's me. He's anyone and everyone, because we all have it in us to stand up and fight for our city, the same way he does or in our own way._

 _He's getting the job done, he's cleaning up our streets, helping Starling city become a better place to live. A better place for your children to grow up in. A better place for your little sister, your little brother, your niece or your nephew to grow up in._

 _Maybe his methods aren't the best ones but who's going to cry over a dead scumbag who was poisoning our city and making it unsafe? Apparently he's also the only one who has the balls to go after the rich and powerful when they do something wrong. He brings them the justice that their money is buying away._

 _The cops call him a criminal but I decide to call him a Hero, even if I don't always agree with his ways. Maybe the cops of our city should concentrate on catching the actual criminals, then the Hood wouldn't be needed anymore and he'd be able to go back to his life._

 ** _"What do you say Detective Lance?_**

 ** _Are you and your men planning on doing some actual police work anytime soon or you'd rather run around chasing the guy who does your job for you?"_**

 _I know that he's one of us, he actually cares about this city enough to sacrifice his time to help us have a better life. I know that every night, he's out there, protecting us, keeping us safe and putting himself in danger for us. He doesn't ask for a reward or to be thanked, he just does it._

 _Of course he's just starting, there's still plenty of bad guys to catch but Rome wasn't built in one day, was it? Give him some time and soon, Starling city will be a changed town you'll be proud to call home. Instead of a trip in jail, I think that he deserves a medal, or at least to have a drink or a burger named after him somewhere._

 _I know that reading this, you were expecting me to reveal his name, maybe even put a picture of him in there._

 _Sorry, that's not going to happen. I expose bad guys who deserve to be in the spotlight and stopped. I refuse to expose a hero who's sacrificing so much for us all._

 _Maybe I actually do know who he is, maybe I see him regularly._

 _I'll never reveal his name here unless he asks me to. If he crosses me with the cops on his tail, I'll direct them in the other direction or lie to them because I believe in him and in what he does._

 _Now this message is for you, Green Hood:_

 _First of all, you need to pick one name and stick to it because, really, this is getting ridiculous. How many pseudonyms does one Hero need? Pick one name and stick to it. My personal favorite is Arrow but hey, that's your decision._

 _Also, why don't you try and figure out who I am? I might have some information that you'd like to have. I know how to get them to you but where would be the fun in that? I think I know you enough to know that by now you're intrigued and curious._

 _Don't worry, your secret is safe with me._

 _Like I said, I'm on your side and, really, when you look at it, we do pretty much the same thing, except I do it mostly from the safety of my computer and you do it by shooting arrows into bad guys. We both scare them in our own way._

 _That's it for now people, sorry for those of you who expected me to reveal the name of the Vigilante._ _He's a friend, mine and yours, and you don't rat out friends. That's the number one rule in my life._

 _The Healer."_

With the article was a drawing in green, black and white that represented the Vigilante's shape standing over a building, looking out the city.

"Well, that's something." John Diggle said once he was done reading.

"Singling out Lance is a bold move, he's not going to like it." Oliver smiled.

"What has you smiling so brightly? Is it just because your name isn't anywhere in this article?" John asked him.

"No, it's because I think I know who the Healer is and she's on our side." Oliver replied with a smile.

"Really? What clue in this article brought you to think that?"

"The number one rule. I remember Veronica telling Thea this a few weeks ago when she was telling her one of her high school stories. I knew there was something familiar about the tone of these articles, now I know why. It's Veronica all the way." Oliver replied.

"And now you know not only that you can trust _The Healer_ but also that you can try and bring Veronica into your crusade because she basically just dared you to." Diggle nodded.

"Yep. Come on John, I want to surprise her later." Oliver said before they made their way out of the house and toward Verdant.

* * *

 ** _At first, this was just supposed to be a one shot, just what you have here but I got inspired and have enough for a couple more chapter at least._**

 ** _I hope you'll like it._**

 ** _Review please? It'll help me know if you liked it or not._**

 ** _Lorelei Candice Black_**


	2. Confrontation

**_Part 2_**

* * *

Sitting in front of her computer in her little PI office, Veronica wondered if Oliver would manage to guess she was the one writing the articles. She could picture him reading it on his cell phone after being told by Thea over breakfast that it was online. Thea knew that Veronica wrote in the famous blog but had promised to keep the secret. She hadn't even tried to get Veronica to tell her who the Vigilante was. The younger Queen was just glad that she had someone in her life who would be able to get the Vigilante if she ever was in trouble (and if it was too much for Veronica).

If he really was the vigilante like she believed he was, then he'd be able to connect the dots and she hoped he'd come find her to talk, maybe even offer her to work with him. Until then, she had work to do, cases to close. She couldn't just sit around and wait for him to come, she had bills to pay and cases to solve.

Ever since she had started hanging out with Thea, Veronica's clientele had slowly changed. Her clients used to belong in the glades but the Queen's friends tended to come to her for their problems now. Cheating spouses, industrial espionage and such. She also dug dirt on parents for teenagers who came and paid her. It was often easy work and easy money, so why wouldn't she do it? Whenever Thea had the time, she helped Veronica on these easy teenager cases and got some money that was only hers and that the young Queen placed on a separate account.

She didn't want to owe all of her money to her family, she wanted to know that she was able to earn her own money once in a while, money that nobody would be able to take from her in case of problems with the Queen's fortune.

"Miss Mars, do you have what I asked for yesterday?" A man said as soon as the front door was closed.

Another one of the Queen's friends. Another rich client willing to pay big money for proof of his wife cheating on him before they hit the 10 year mark on their marriage. He had paid for an urgent delivery and so she had been forced to cancel her night with Thea to work on it. It was worth it though, it paid big money. Plus, the man was a lawyer and she knew that he'd be able to provide hr with more work, which is why she let him take several of her business cards.

"I do. I managed to get the money shot quite easily. They were very careless." She nodded, handing the man the printed pictures in exchange for his payment.

"Good for me, too bad for them." He commented with a satisfied smile as he looked over the different pictures she had taken.

"Exactly." Veronica nodded.

"Thank you Miss Mars. You work quickly and effectively, I'll make sure to tell my friends." He replied, satisfied with her pictures, before he paid her and left her office, happy with the evidence she had provided him with.

As soon as he stepped away, Veronica went back to her computer. She didn't hear the door close back but she didn't wait to hear it either. She was busy working and she never waited for the clients to leave her office before going back to work. Time was money and she didn't waste it.

She was working on finding more information about the new drug called Vertigo and the people who were selling and making it. She wanted to expose them so they'd stop, especially since they were targeting teenagers like Thea who just wanted to party. She wanted him caught before Thea or one of her friends ended up hurt by it. Or before someone who was partying at Verdant got hurt and put Oliver and Tommy in trouble with the police. If she managed to get enough information, maybe she'd be able to convince the Vigilante to work on this with her.

"Hard at work or hardly working?"

Veronica looked up as soon as she heard the deep voice that belonged to the vigilante. He was standing in front if her, his bow on his shoulder and his arrows behind his back. Obviously he wasn't here to shoot her. He was the vigilante but she couldn't help but notice that his stance was one of Oliver Queen, relaxed. Either he knew that she knew who he was or he was slipping up with his cover. She bet on the first one.

"Oh, hi! I didn't hear you come in. You're lucky there's no window here. It's still daylight, you know. I thought you only came out at night." She replied, blushing a little and trying to hide it as she stood and went to lock the door to make sure that no potential clients would disturb them.

It was rare that people were able to surprise her but she wasn't surprise that the vigilante was able to.

"I came in right after the man that left but you were already back to your computer. I was able to change in the corridor. No video surveillance and nobody around. You didn't choose the safest building for your office. What has you so concentrated?" He asked her, standing tall.

"Oh, you know. A little bit of this, a little bit of that. What about you, what are you doing here? I doubt this is a social call." She smiled.

"I was just passing by on my way and I figured I'd stop by." He replied.

"Stop by? Like an old friend?" She asked him, amused and refusing to tell him that she knew who he was before he hinted that he knew she wrote the article.

"Or a new one." he replied.

"So this is a social call. And what could a new friend do for you?"

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important. Maybe an article to write?" He suggested with a spark of amusement in his eyes, not answering her question right away.

"An article? Well, I do write the occasional freelance piece for some newspapers in town but nothing recently. I just had to stake out a woman who cheated on her husband and was dumb enough to do it before they hit the 10 year mark on their wedding. Too bad for her, she's going to lose a lot. She wasn't very discreet either, she was either dumb or she wanted to be caught." Veronica replied.

"I wasn't speaking about your articles for newspapers but about a blog. _The Healer_. There was a very interesting new article on it this morning." Oliver replied.

"Oh yes, I read it. Seems like you've got yourself a fan." Veronica replied.

"And a friend." he added.

"True. So, tell me Oliver, now that you've guessed I was the one behind ' _the Healer_ ', are you going to take down your hood and turn your voice thingy off?" She asked him.

"How did you know it was me?" he asked her, taking down his hood and turning his voice changer off.

"I have a good instinct. Don't worry, I don't think anyone else will be able to figure it out the same way I did." She replied.

"And when was that? When did you figure it out?" he asked her.

"About a month ago, when you, as the vigilante, helped me out."

"I barely spoke that night. How?"

"Sometimes, around certain people, you feel a certain way, like... I don't know, an aura you can feel or something. When I got the same feeling around the Hood as I did around Oliver Queen, I looked more into it and decided that I was right." Veronica informed him.

"I see... You're not speaking about the skin crawling and goose bumps kind of feeling, right?" He asked her with a frown.

"No, don't worry. A totally different and warmer feeling." Veronica chuckled, trying to hide from him that the feeling she was speaking about was a much warmer, much more pleasant feeling.

"Okay, good. Well, I know that you can be trusted."

"Does that mean you're not going to shoot an arrow in me?" She asked him with an amused smile.

"As long as you don't taser me." He smiled back.

Veronica and Oliver spoke a while longer. Oliver went to change back into Oliver Queen in Veronica's bathroom and he invited her to join his crusade, explaining to her why he had started what he was doing and how he got his list. He even told her about his idea to find another spot for her office and to use it as a front for his 'vigilante working quarters'. They decided that they'd keep her office the way it was and that he'd keep on using his club for now, they'd look for a good location for her new office later but they were both very enthusiastic about it.

It would have to be large, with a big enough cave and well located. It would take them some time to find it but with both of their resources, they'd be able to do something great.

Veronica used this opportunity to inform him of her own personal crusade of the moment: Vertigo.

"It's the kind of drug that would have hurt your sister a while back. Before she stopped using drugs." Veronica added.

"You mean before you came into her life and helped her find her path." Oliver smiled.

"I... yes. A lot of teenagers are using it. A lot of them end up at the hospital, or at the morgue. It's a plague that grows quickly." She explained.

She could imagine that if Vertigo was to arrive in Neptune, half the town would be high or dead within a few weeks.

"Yes, Vertigo is a name that comes up more and more often in the news lately. Lance wants to take him down even more that he wants to catch me right now." he nodded.

"I want to take him down. I usually wait for them to target someone I know or care about to take them down but with Vertigo, I don't want to wait until they kill Thea or one of her friend to worry about it." She exclaimed.

"I guess Vertigo will be our first common task then. I'm sure John won't mind." Oliver smiled, enjoying this open moment of honesty with Veronica.

He could easily imagine a life where he and Veronica would be partners in all aspects of their lives. He wanted it. He wanted her by his side, he wanted to be the one who held her in his arms at night and he wanted to help her forget about all of her past broken hearts. He also knew that she had guards around her heart, just like he did, and that it would take them time, if she even felt the same way, but he was willing to wait and see how things would evolve between them. One thing was sure: Veronica was able to take care of herself and working with him wouldn't put her in any more danger than what she was already doing daily. Hell, she probably had enemies he didn't know anything about yet.

He was determined to do his best to keep her close to him.

* * *

 _ **So, what did you think of part 2?**_

 _ **Another part coming up soon and so far there is 4 parts, maybe 5, it depends.**_

 _ **I'm also working on another part of this story, one that explains how Veronica and Thea got so close, back when everybody thought Oliver to be dead. It will explain how Veronica got to be in Starling city as well.**_

 _ **Review please?**_

 ** _Lorelei Candice Black_**


	3. Team Work

**_Part 3_**

* * *

That same night, once she was done with work (and let's face it, she was so eager that she had decided to keep one of the stake outs for the next day), Veronica went to Verdant and found out that Oliver had put her name on the list of people who could go in freely. She didn't have to wait in line, or even to prove her identity because the bouncer had her picture already.

She knew what he and everyone else would be thinking: if Oliver had put her on the special list, then something must be going on between them. People would assume that she and Oliver were dating or something alike but for once, it was a rumor that Veronica wouldn't mind having going around about her. Earlier, they had even agreed that Oliver would use her as an alibi when he couldn't use the club. They'd say that he was helping her out with a case or that they were getting to know each other for Thea's sake.

Thea had been insisting for the past couple of months that Veronica and Oliver would be perfect for each other and that they needed to spend more time together. The younger Queen might not know their secret identities but she seemed to know them well enough. Veronica couldn't help but wonder if Thea was right and if they'd get along in the romantic department of their lives also. Would it work out in the long run? Would they work better then she had with Duncan, Logan or Piz? She knew for sure that he wasn't the man who had cheated on Laurel with Sarah anymore, but would he even want a relationship with her?

Shaking her head, she forced herself to stop thinking about it. Now wasn't the time, they had villains to catch. Bad guys to find and send to prison. She had an high school reunion in a few weeks that she wanted to avoid. She was too busy right now to think about a potential relationship.

This wasn't the first time Veronica stepped in Verdant. She had been invited to the opening and had dropped by a few times, mostly when she was on a case, spying on someone and waiting to get the money shot.

As soon as she was in the club, Veronica headed for the bar and took her cell phone out but Oliver came to find her before she even had the time to start dialing his number, confirming that he had been waiting for her and watching out for her through the video surveillance. After happily greeting her and exchanging a nod with Tommy, he showed her the way to his hidden cave, letting her see the code on the way so she'd be able to go down on her own later.

"So, does Tommy know what you're doing down there?" Veronica asked Oliver once she was down admiring all of his equipment.

She had noticed them exchanging nods and wondered if Oliver's best friend knew of his nightly activities and of the reason behind the creation of Verdant or if he thought that she and Oliver were going to be doing much naughtier things.

"Yes, I had to tell him when I saved his father's life, he wouldn't have trusted me to do it otherwise. Things were pretty complicated with him."

"Were?" She asked him looking away from his arrow making station and up to him, curious about the past tense.

She decided to keep for herself her thought that Starling City would probably have been better off without Malcolm Merlyn.

"Apparently your little article helped him cope with what I do. I mean, I try not to shoot the criminals I stop now, if I don't have to." Oliver replied.

"That's good, I'm glad I helped. Having a best friend is important, especially for a friendship as old as yours. You need to do whatever you can to keep it alive." She nodded, thinking briefly of Lilly and of the fact that she'd love being able to speak to her about her own nightly activities.

"I think that you assuring him that you were not going to tell Laurel who you are and that you're not interested in being anything more than her friend because you were interested in someone else helped as well." John added, revealing more voluntarily in hopes of pushing them together.

To be truthful, Oliver had stopped going to see Laurel as the Vigilante and even though he knew she wanted to see him again, he stayed away. He had enough work with his list and Veronica's blog, he didn't need Laurel to bring him new cases and he didn't feel the need to spend more time with her. Laurel was nothing more than an ex girlfriend and an actual friend now. He didn't want anything else from her.

"Maybe." Oliver replied quickly before asking Veronica "So, what do you think of our equipment?"

He hoped she hadn't paid attention to what John had said about him being interested in someone but he knew her enough to know that even though she didn't show it, she had heard it. Would she be able to guess that it was all about her or would she think he had set his sight on someone else entirely?

"Truthfully? I think I might be in love with it. Is it weird that I feel right at home already?" She smiled, making him smile as well.

"Just with the equipment?" John whispered while nobody could hear him.

"I'm glad you like it. So, does Thea know about you writing the blog?" he asked her, smiling back.

"Yes, she does and she knows that I know who the Vigilante is but she hasn't asked me who he is. She doesn't want to know, she understands the importance of the secret." Veronica replied, making him smile.

"Good, I don't think I'm ready for her to know yet."

"I understand, don't worry. Actually, she thinks that I should join the Vigilante and work on a kick-ass costume to join him at night." Veronica chuckled.

"And do you have any ideas yet?" He asked her, knowing that if she wanted to be on the field, there would be no stopping her.

"I'm not sure but I know what kind of weapon I'd like to have." She smiled.

"What is it?" John asked her with great interest.

"I was thinking of my taser and of how many time he's saved me over the years and figured... you know, something like that except a bit longer... Like an electrified whip or something. Of course I'd have to learn to use a whip first, but it sounds cool." Veronica replied, already picturing the thing in her mind.

"We'll have to find someone to work on it but I agree, it would fit you." Oliver nodded, already picturing Veronica with something like that.

"Your costume would have to be isolated so you don't get electrocuted... I'm not sure how we'd make that work though..." John added.

"Well, we have time to think about that. We'll see, maybe we'll meet someone able to help us with your costume and whip." Oliver told her with a smile.

"Anyway, about Malcolm Merlyn..." Veronica started, stopping to find the right words.

"What about him?" Oliver asked her.

"There's something fishy about him. I'm not sure what it is exactly but he's not a good person. He's definitely guilty of something. I know he's one of your family's oldest friend and your best friend's father but... I mean, I don't have hard evidence and I can't quite put my finger on what's wrong with him..." Veronica told him.

"You don't trust him?" he asked her, exchanging a look with John.

"No, I really don't. I know people and he's definitely hiding something dark. Be careful around him." She advised him.

"But you trust Tommy?" Oliver asked her, knowing enough about her to trust her instinct.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure he's completely clueless when it comes to his father's dark evil secrets."

"To tell you the truth, we're starting to think that he might have something to do with the Gambit going down. He and my mother might be involved in something bigger but we don't know what yet. Why don't we concentrate on one devil at the time though? We can try to figure out what Merlyn is hiding later. Right now we need to stop the Count and take Vertigo off the streets before too many people die of it." Oliver nodded while John smiled at the way Oliver and Veronica were already working together.

In a few seconds, Oliver and Veronica managed to work together as though they had been doing it for years. They worked side by side in perfect harmony and John couldn't help but think that they had been meant to be, meant to work together and hopefully meant for more.

With their forces united, it took them a week to find the Count, send him in jail and destroy all of the left over Vertigo. Of course Veronica made sure to write about it in her blog and she saw happily that Lance was slowing down his vigilante hunt. That left them with more time to investigate Malcolm Merlyn and Moira Queen. Oliver had asked Veronica to look into it as much as she could, and she did. She hadn't looked too deep before out of respect for the Queen family but with Oliver's authorization, she dived right in, looking into everything from financial records to other matters, some as old as Oliver was. It would take her time but she knew she'd eventually find something out. She never failed.

* * *

 **Part 3 is done, part 4 is coming.**

 **This one shot is getting pretty long, don't you think? I honestly have no idea where I'm going to stop. Veronica and Oliver are just too good together.**

 **As you can see, I'm thinking about giving Veronica a costume and secret identity so she can go out there. What do you think of my idea of weapon for her? What should her name be?**

 **Review please?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	4. Invitation

**_Part 4_**

 ** _Invitation_**

* * *

That evening, about a week after the Count had been stopped, Veronica was below Verdant, with John and Oliver, looking for some information on Oliver's mother (some of them dating back to before Thea's birth, so it was a lot of hard work, taking up a lot of Veronica's free time) to try and find out what she was hiding with Malcolm Merlyn when her cell phone rang. Answering it, she put it on speaker so she could keep on using the computer. She didn't have anything to hide from Oliver and John, she didn't mind if they heard her conversation. She trusted them. In just a couple of weeks they had already been through a lot together and she knew that she could trust them with anything.

John was cleaning his guns while sitting on a chair somewhere behind her while Oliver made making and sharpening his arrows, standing in front of the table he was using.

"Hey Wallace." She greeted, getting a curious look from Oliver.

Was this Wallace an old boyfriend? He remembered vaguely hearing the name during one of Veronica and Thea's discussion and he remembered that he was important but he couldn't remember who the guy was to Veronica. Definitely someone that was in her high school stories though. A friend, a foe or an old boyfriend?

"Hey Veronica, how are you doing?" he asked her cheerfully.

"I'm good. What about you?" She asked him back.

"You know, yelling at teenagers every day and wondering if we really were this way when we were that age. And if we were, then I feel truly sorry for our teachers, some of whom i now work with on a daily basis." Wallace replied.

"You're the one that chose to be a high school coach, Wallace. You did have other options." She chuckled.

"Maybe, but teaching sex ed was definitely not in my plans when I signed up. Have you tried speaking to a bunch of teenagers about sex without them giggling every 3 seconds? Some of them thinking I'm making up name of STD's just to confuse them and others believing that you can get pregnant if you're in a hottub with a guy who ejaculates while in it. Girl, even _you_ couldn't do it." He replied, making her chuckled.

"Oh, come on, I'm sure you're great at it. Who better than you to teach them about it?" she chuckled.

"Is that a keyboard I'm hearing? You're still working at this hour? Girl, you _have_ to start learning the meaning of rest."

"A PI's work is never done, you should know this. You've seen me and my father work often enough, plus, I like it, it's my idea of fun."

"I know. Speaking of your father, are you going to come back to Neptune anytime soon?"

"Why would I come back? Dad came to see me a couple of months ago and we talk regularly, we're fine."

"I think he misses you. So do I, and Mac does too." Wallace replied.

"Do you really think that I'm this clueless Wallace? I know why you're calling, I know what day is coming and the answer is no. I didn't come back to Neptune for the anniversary of Lilly's death for the past 9 years, I'm definitely not coming back for this." Veronica told him.

"Come on, aren't you the one who told me that even Dante went back to hell after leaving it?"

"I managed to leave that town 9 years ago Wallace, I refuse to go back. I'd rather go to actual hell, it'd be safer. Actually, I'd rather beg the Vigilante to shoot me with an arrow than to go back to Neptune for this stupid reunion." She replied, while Oliver and John still looked at her and listened to her conversation.

"Oh, come on V, now you're exaggerating. It's our high school reunion! Surely you're not going to let Madison Sinclair and her lackeys speak behind your back and think that you failed at life. You know that if you don't show up they'll just think that you're ashamed of your life. Come on, don't you want to show them that you're still standing and kicking?"

"Now you're just trying to sweet talk me. It's not going to work."

"Weevil got married and has a daughter, you know he wants to introduce you to them and I know that you want to see them."

"I know... I... I can't go Wallace." her voice sounded almost pleading now and Oliver didn't like seeing this side of Veronica.

He didn't like seeing her about to break, he wanted her to be strong, always. he had to hold himself back from walking over to her and hugging her.

"Why? Honestly Veronica, why don't you want to go back?" He asked her.

"Because... I... Fine, I don't want to go back because Logan will be there with Madison and I hate the fact that he won in the break up game and I don't want to show up alone. It's not like I still have feelings for him or anything, but I just hate the fact that after everything I've been through because of him, he still won. If I was to go, it would have to be with someone awesome that would leave that 09 bitch with her jaw hanging with envy and jealousy to the point that she turns green." Veronica replied honestly.

"What about Oliver Queen?" Wallace asked her and Veronica turned to look at Oliver, confused.

"What about him?" She hadn't told Wallace that she was working with Oliver surely he couldn't have guessed it.

"Well, he's hot or whatever you girls say now. And you're super close to his sister, right? According to celebrity gossip he's currently single and you've been seen with him a few times, at his club, at his house and he's even been seen at your office. Can't you ask him to come with you or blackmail him to do it or something?"

"Blackmail him?" Veronica asked, amused.

"You mean you don't have anything on him yet? Well then, surely his baby sister has something on him. Or you can use the whole 'I was there for your sister when you were dead' thing. I mean, managing a club can't possibly take that much work, I'm sure he'd be able to go away for a few days. I'm sure you can convince him."

"I'm sure I could too but he doesn't deserve to take a trip to hell after spending 5 years alone on an hellish island." Veronica chuckled.

"Come on, don't let us go alone." Wallace pleaded.

"Wallace... you don't know how hard it was for me to leave Neptune behind me after everything that happened... If I go, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to leave again." Veronica replied in a small, fragile, voice.

"If you take Oliver Queen with you, he'll be able to force you to leave." Her friend argued, making Oliver and John smile.

"Okay, what is all this with Oliver? Where does it come from? I've barley spoken about him to you, dad or Mac." Veronica snapped gently.

"It's possible that his sister Thea got our numbers from your phone and called us after you'd been seen together in a few gossip column to say that you needed time off work because you worked too much."

"Okay, and where did all of this Oliver thing come from?"

"She might have let it slip that the two of you would make a good couple and that you were both too stubborn to admit it even though you obviously like each other and both wanted to be more than friends." He replied, making John chuckle and Oliver and Veronica blush a little.

"I... I'll see what I can do Wallace but I have a lot of work, I might not be able to make it." She finally said.

"With all you work, you could surely take some time off. See you next week Veronica." He replied.

"I never said that I was coming." She argued but it was too late, Wallace had already hung up.

"So, are we going to your reunion?" Oliver asked her, knowing that if he didn't bring it up, she'd ignore the subject.

"Oh come on, surely you're not serious... You can't possibly want to take time off chasing criminals to go spend a few days in hell on earth." Veronica argued.

"Things have been quiet lately." John added.

"I've spent five years on a hellish island getting tortured on and off. I think I can handle a high school reunion in Neptune." he replied with a smile.

"Do you really want to go with me? You know that you don't have to, right?"

"Of course I do Veronica. If I let you go alone, you might never come back and what would I, I mean, what would _we_ do without you?" Oliver replied, catching himself at the last minute.

They were both ignoring what Thea had told Wallace about their feelings for each other but Oliver was glad to see that Veronica wasn't closed to the idea of him going with her.

"I think you should go. We all deserve a break. Especially you Veronica, you've been working a lot lately between your office and here. It would do you some good to take a break, see your friends and family." John argued gently.

"You're both going to insist until I go, aren't you?" She asked, looking resigned.

"Yes." They both replied with a smile.

"Fine, I'll go and if you want to come with me Oliver, I'd love to have your company." Veronica finally declared.

"Great, we'll take the family's jet and I'll book us a room at the local high class hotel."

"A jet? Book us a room? Is that really necessary?" Veronica asked him.

"If we're going to pretend we're together in front of all of your classmates, we have to be in a room together and according to what you told me and Thea about your home town I'm sure word will travel fast. Arriving in the family's private jet would show that we're really together." Oliver replied.

"Then I guess you want to book a room at the Neptune Grand." Veronica told him.

"You'll also have to pretend you guys are together and have been together for a while. Hold hands, kiss, get in each other's arms and agree on a cute 'how we got together' story that will make them all jealous." John reminded them with a knowing smile, making them both blush and look away, back to what they were doing before Wallace's phone call.

"Maybe John can even come with us and play bodyguard and driver, show them just how important you are." Oliver suggested

"I'd love the change of scenery." John nodded.

"Okay then, I'll go up and make the reservations." Oliver smiled excitedly before he rushed up the stairs.

With a deep breath, Veronica took her phone and left a message to her father:

"Hey dad, it's me. So, I'll be coming to Neptune for the High school reunion after all but I'll stay at the Neptune Grand. It's a long story, I'm not coming alone. I... Call me back whenever and I'll explain everything." Veronica declared before she hung up.

Apparently, she was going back to Neptune.

* * *

 _ **So, what did you think? I almost killed off Keith and made his death the reason Veronica hadn't gone back to Neptune in 9 years... but went against it.**_

 _ **Next chapter we go back in time to how Veronica went to Starling city and how she got so close to Thea. I included a small part in the end that's all about Veronica and Oliver's first discussion. Then the one after that will be the High school reunion. After that? We'll see if I continue or not.**_

 _ **Review please?**_

 _ **Lorelei Candice Black**_


	5. How Veronica met Thea Queen

_**Part 5**_

 _ **How Veronica and Thea met**_

 _Flashback, happens before Oliver comes back alive._

 _Little AN: I said earlier that I considered killing Keith off, not because I don't like him, I love his character, but because it fitted the way I wanted the story to go and it would have explained why Veronica refused to go back to Neptune for 9 years. I chose to go a different way but I'm tempted to make him NOT Veronica's father. To have it that Leanne knew someone who faked Keith's paternity test in Season 1 (or have it that he didn't take it at all). I want to make someone else (I already know who, someone from ARROW) Veronica's father to make things interesting and go longer, but I'm not sure... What do you think?_

* * *

Ending up in Starling city when she finished college hadn't been in Veronica's initials projects. She had offers to join the FBI, Homeland Security, the CIA or even some organisation called ARGUS that usually hired ex military but were willing to make an exception for her. And several more offers from large companies or organisations.

She went to Starling City right after her graduation as a favor for an art major friend who needed help proving that her brother in law was stealing money from the family company and that he was cheating on her elder sister with his accomplice, a sexy assistant. Veronica solved it in a couple of weeks and ended up deciding to stay a few more days in town when someone else, a family friend of her friend, had asked for her help on another case.

That's when Veronica realized that she liked Starling city and that it was a town that needed to be healed and that was willing to heal, unlike Neptune who seemed more than happy to let villains win at every turn and to knock good guys down over and over again. Although, unlike Neptune she didn't have the feeling that it seated on a hell mouth. There was hope for this town and she wanted to help.

It wouldn't be as glorious as what she could do and her father would be disappointed but she didn't care, she felt like this was the best thing to do for herself and that's what she did. She made a decision and stuck to it. Her father had been not only disappointed in her but also a bit angry. He didn't understand why she didn't work to her full potential and why, if she wanted to be a PI so much, she didn't come back to work with him. They hadn't spoken for an entire month before he caved in and agreed that she needed to live her life the way she chose to and to make her own mistakes.

Veronica then took a loan and rented a small office and a 1 bedroom apartment. Quickly, small cases came in and, once in a while a big case dropped by. Slowly, her reputation was built and she had enough work to keep her busy and pay off all of her bills.

.

When she first arrived in town, it had been one year since The Queen's Gambit had gone missing and, at the time, Veronica didn't care much. To her, Oliver Queen was just another rich kid that had gotten everything he ever wanted without having to work for it. His going missing hadn't affected her in any way. Sure, he was hot looking but she was sure that he had been just as bad as the likes of Logan Echolls. Had he grown up in Neptune, she had no doubt that he would have been one of the worst 09er there. He was the perfect type for this.

One day, Veronica was watching one of the Queen's security guards, because his wife believed that he was cheating on her during his working hours, when she spotted Thea Queen.

It had been like a slap in the face to Veronica because even though the youngest Queen didn't look anything like Lilly, she reminded her strongly of her long lost friend. Veronica couldn't help but to keep a distant eye on Thea for the next few months and it killed her to see the 14 year old Queen slowly fall into the worst habits possible. Underage drinking, staying out way past her bedtime, drugs, shoplifting, sex...

It looked like her mother didn't pay much attention to her, busy between coping with her own pain and keeping the family company running, and one day, Veronica couldn't help herself, she decided to do her best to help. She didn't want Thea to die young and she felt like by helping her, she'd be making it up for not being there for Lilly in her last hour.

One night, Thea's friends had abandoned her at a club and Veronica was there, watching and ready to jump in. She had been there on a job but had quickly gotten the shot she needed to get paid. She saw Thea, looking out of it, being led outside by an older looking guy so she followed and when it was obvious what the guy was planning on doing, Veronica intervened.

"You should step away and leave now. She doesn't look very conscious and she's underage." Veronica warned.

As if to agree with her, Thea protested faintly, telling the guy to let her go and to move away.

"Mind your own business, bitch." The guy replied.

"Now, it's not the first time I hear that. Unfortunately for you, I'm not in the mood to hear it tonight." She replied as she got her taser out and used it on the guy, who fell to the ground.

"Karma's a bitch, buddy, you should keep that in mind." She added once he was rolling with pain on the ground.

Quickly, Veronica snapped a picture of the man in case Thea's mother wanted to press charges or something and she helped the young woman up.

"Who are you? What's going on?" Thea muttered, her voice a bit slippery.

"My name is Veronica, I think you've been drugged or something. I'm going to take you home. What's your address?" She asked her.

Of course she knew the address but she couldn't just admit it, it would sound creepy.

"In my purse. I... I don't feel so good." Thea replied as Veronica struggled to help her to her car.

About half an hour later, Veronica was parking her car in front of the large Queen's mansion and, knowing how late it was, decided it would be best to ring the doorbell and show Moira Queen that her daughter needed her. She could have used Thea's set of keys but she wanted Moira Queen to see just how dangerous the situation was and how close Thea had been from a terrible fate.

Veronica rang a few times until someone finally came to open the door. It was one of the security guards that she had seen before. Without knowing much about him, she knew that the Queen family trusted him.

"What? It's late." He told her as soon as he opened the door.

"I know, I'm sorry but I need to see Misses Queen. It's about Thea." Veronica said, pointing to a pale looking Thea whose face was pressed against the window of her car as she slept.

Nodding, the man closed the door once more and came back a few minutes later with Moira Queen who looked like she was just torn out of bed. While two security guards took Thea out of Veronica's car and into her bedroom, Moira invited Veronica to follow her so she could explain everything.

"I'm a Private Investigator and I was at this club hoping to get a money shot for a client when I saw your daughter. She had been partying hard earlier, it was hard to miss her and when I spotted her next, she seemed out of it and this guy, obviously much older than she was was pulling her out back and I don't know why, I had to follow and make sure that she was okay. I, I've been through something terrible when I was just a bit older than she was and I had to stop it. She was definitely not herself and she faintly protested but the guy brushed it off. I snapped a picture of him if you want to press charges or something. I recognized her from a newspaper picture about your husband and son and I knew that she was underage. I warned him, he laughed it off so I tasered him and took Thea to my car while he was on the ground, then I found your address in her purse." Veronica explained while someone called the family doctor.

"Why didn't you call the police or take her to the hospital?" Moira asked Veronica, looking grateful.

"I figured you'd want to keep it out of the tabloids and since it didn't look bad enough to deserve a trip to the ER... I... I have to tell you though, according to the bouncer who helped me put her in my car, it's not the first time she was in this club and in a state close to this one. Only this time her friends left her early... She got in with a fake ID. It's still in her wallet. I used the fact that the bouncer owed me a favor to get him to make sure nobody warned the press."

"Thank you, I really appreciate what you did for her tonight." Moira told Veronica.

"Don't mention it. I just wanted to make sure she got home safe and that she was fine. She... She reminds me of my best friend who died when I was 16. I don't know why, I... I just felt the urge to help her, to make sure that she didn't end up like Lilly." Veronica replied honestly.

"Lilly?" Moira asked her.

"You probably heard about it back when it happened, Lilly Kane?"

"Oh yes. I did. I'll never be able to repay you for getting Thea home safely. How much do I owe you?"

"Nothing. I might be a PI but as I said, I did this for Thea. Don't let her continue this spiraling or you'll lose her. I understand that these are hard times for your family, trust me, I do. But she needs you to be strong for her, with her. She needs someone to talk to." Veronica advised.

"Thea really reminded you of your friend?"

"Yes, I don't know why because they are nothing alike physically but she did. Maybe it's just Lilly's way of asking me to help Thea, I don't know."

"Well, I'm glad you were there." Moira smiled as one of the security guards came back with the doctor.

Moira asked Veronica to follow her and the doctor, understanding that she'd want to know what's going on. Once the doctor had left with his instructions, Moira offered for Veronica to stay until the next day. It didn't feel right letting Veronica drive all the way back to the Glades after what she had done for them and the young PI was thankful for the offer. She'd welcome the opportunity to speak with Thea the next morning.

.

The next morning, a still pale Thea came down for breakfast, obviously trying to hide a hangover and was met with Veronica and her mother.

"Oh... So it really happened... You helped me." Thea exclaimed in a small voice when she saw Veronica.

"She didn't help you Thea, she saved you and you're grounded. I've taken your fake ID and you won't be leaving this house anytime soon. For the next few weeks it's going to be school, work and home." Moira replied before Veronica could say anything.

"What? Work? I don't have a job!" Thea complained.

"I know that. Veronica here took time off of her job to help you and so you'll repay her. You're going to go to her office every day after school and help her anyway you can until I decide that you're not grounded anymore. You'll spend at least 2 hours there, three if I have to work late. You'll only go home once I come and pick you up after my work day." Moira decided.

She had talked a lot with Veronica the previous night and they had decided that this might help Thea change her behavior a bit. Moira didn't know why she trusted Veronica so quickly but she did, she felt like the young woman was a good thing for her family and she wanted her in Thea's life, at least for a few weeks. She had obviously taken a liking to her daughter and if she truly cared, maybe she'd be able to take Oliver's place in Thea's heart and help her heal. If after her punishment is over Thea still wanted to spend time with Veronica and if it really helped her, then all the better.

"And what kind of work do you do?" Thea asked her in a resigned voice.

"I'm a private investigator. I'll keep the stake outs for the mornings or evenings and while you're in the office, we'll stick to more administrative work." Veronica replied.

"Urgh. What kind of teenage girl spends her free time at a PI's office?" Thea complained, knowing there was no escaping this.

"I did." Veronica replied, making Thea look at her.

"You did? Why?"

"My best friend, Lilly, was murdered when I was 16. My father was the sheriff and he went after the wrong man. Where I'm from, Neptune, there isn't a middle class. You're either a millionaire or you're working for millionaires. My father found out that the Kane's, my best friend's family and one of the richest families in town, were lying and hiding some things and it got him fired. He landed back on his feet and became a PI. I sided with him and stood by his side, even after my mother, who was Jake Kane's lover, left us, and that got my classmates to hate me. All I had left was my father and so I started working with him. Officially I was only a receptionist but I slowly started going on stakeouts and solving the easy cases. As time passed, I proved to be good at it and I kept on taking bigger cases. A little over a year later, I solved my best friend Lilly's murder when nobody else could and thought I was done with the Private investigative work. I was wrong. It was in me and I went right back to it the first chance I got." Veronica explained, having the full attention of both Queen women.

"Like it's in your blood?" Thea asked her.

"Yes, it is."

Eventually, Moira went to work and Thea got dressed and left with Veronica who told her stories of her teenage years.

Over the next few weeks, Thea and Veronica got close. In the office, Thea answered the phone and sorted through the paperwork. Once her mother declared that she wasn't grounded anymore, Thea kept on going to see Veronica, sometimes just to talk, sometimes to help. She still went out on the weekends but she didn't drink or do drugs anymore. She confided in Veronica, talked to her about her brother, her crush on Tommy, the fact that she found it hard to talk with her mother...

Moira was glad of her decision to allow Veronica in their lives because the young woman had become a strong part of their lives. She came to her wedding to Walter, she stayed with Thea during their honeymoon and she stuck by Thea's side through every problem, slowly helping the teenage girl to become a good young woman.

.

When Oliver came back, surprising everyone with the fact that he was alive, Thea wanted to make sure that Veronica knew that she still had her part in her life and she started dreaming of Oliver and Veronica becoming a couple, even though she knew that her brother was the kind of person Veronica had sworn to avoid due to her past mistakes.

However, Veronica had been working on a big case when Oliver came back and she wasn't able to meet him until the Queens held him a welcome back party.

"Hey, Veronica, right?" Oliver asked Veronica as he joined her in the garden during his welcome home party.

"Yes, I am. Welcome back to the land of the living." She smiled.

"Thank you. I've heard a lot about you since I came back, I'm sorry we couldn't meet sooner. And thank you for what you did for my sister." He replied sincerely and charmingly.

"I did nothing."

"My mother, Thea, Tommy and Laurel told me everything you did. You helped my sister away from a dangerous path and for that, I'll always owe you." Oliver told her.

"Well, you're welcome." She nodded with a small blush.

"So, why did you step away from the celebration?"

"I figured you needed some time alone with your family and friends. I didn't want to intrude."

"Don't be silly, Thea thinks of you as a sister. You belong inside with us."

"What about you, why did you come outside?"

"I've spent 5 years on my own. This is a little too much company to take all at once." he explained honestly.

"Understandable. Well, I should get back inside before Thea gets worried and starts inventing things. Tell me if there's anything I can do to help you, alright?" She offered.

"Of course. Thank you." He smiled, watching her as she walked back inside, already planning on looking for more information about her and see what it was about her that was so special.

He already knew a lot from what he had been told by everyone around him but he wanted to know more, he wanted to know who she was, who she had been and who she could be. he needed to find any information he could on her, every article she was mentioned in, if she had a record, anything.

* * *

 **So, what did you think?**

 **I might write in more flashbacks in the future, if you want them? One is already planed in the next chapter.**

 **Right now, I have enough ideas to go to chapter 8, maybe even more if I develop something more. Chapters 6, 7 and 8 will be in Neptune.**

 **Review please**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	6. Before the Reunion

**_Part 6_**

 ** _Before the reunion_**

 _AN: I've discovered why i'm so motivated to make this story as long as possible. It's because they're killing Olicity on Arrow and I love Olicity. I think I'm trying to replace it in my heart with Veronica/ Oliver (what's their ship name?). I get why so many people wants Olicity gone but the tv show isn't the comic book, it's not supposed to be a copy of it or it'll be boring... Anyway, it's not like my opinion matters to the writers, right? I'll keep on hoping for Oliver and Felicity to get back together while working on this story and making it as long as possible._

* * *

When she found out that Veronica was going to her high school reunion with Oliver, Thea had been very happy. She knew that even though they were planning on pretending they were together, they would end up getting much closer than they planned. How could they not when it was obvious to everyone around them that they had feelings?

Thea remembered the first time she had noticed that her brother was interested in Veronica. It was a couple of weeks after his return and Veronica was spending the night over because Thea had asked her to. Moira and Walter were there also and they were all having a lot of fun playing games all together.

"See something you like Big Brother?" Thea asked Oliver while Veronica sat on the couch, laughing with Moira and Walter.

"I don't know what you're talking about." he shook his head, forcing his eyes away from Veronica.

"I think you do. She is pretty, very smart and nice." Thea warned him.

"Stop trying to get me with her Thea. She probably has a boyfriend anyway."

"No, she doesn't." Thea smirked.

"Why is that? I mean, you go on and on about how great she is. If she's so great, why doesn't she have a boyfriend?" he asked her.

"She has trust issues. She has a bad dating history, bad boyfriends. Now when she goes on a date she sees all the guy's potential screw ups and secrets. She's had a few one night stand though, I think."

"I didn't need to know that!" he exclaimed.

"Tommy went on a date with her before he got with Laurel. He didn't get tasered at the end of the night so I guess it didn't go that bad. They just didn't click because they didn't go on a second date after that. They're friends though." Thea explained, loving the flicker of jealousy she saw in her brother's eyes.

"He didn't tell me about it."

"I think the two of you would make a good couple. With the way you look at her, I think you do too." She told him before she left and went back to Veronica.

Ever since that day, Thea had decided that her mission was to make them see how great they'd be together. She wanted Veronica to be her sister legally.

 _.BACK TO THE PRESENT._

"God it's sunny here." Oliver exclaimed when they left the plane before he placed a pair of sunglasses on his nose.

"Well, it _is_ California." John replied as he did the same with his own glasses.

"Don't let it fool you, this town is a thousand times darker than Starling city could ever be." Veronica warned them with a frown, not needing the sunglasses after having grown up in this sunlight.

"Come on my love, be a little optimistic." Oliver said as he passed an arm around her waist and pulled her to him, knowing that they were now in public and that their show was starting now.

He had to admit it to himself, he loved having his arm there, holding her close. He liked the way it made him feel and he was ready to jump on any excuse to make their stay in Neptune longer, just so he could hold her this close more often.

"Are we going straight to the hotel, sir?" John asked him a few minutes later in a very professional tone while someone took their bags to place them in their car, noticing a young woman with a pink and sparkly purse snapping a picture of them with her cell phone.

"No, we're stopping by Veronica's father's office first." Oliver replied.

"Very well, sir."

"Dad won't mind of we stop by the hotel first." Veronica shook her head.

"Don't be silly. We stop by your dad's, have dinner with him and then we'll go to the hotel." Oliver replied.

Veronica had explained the situation to her father, why Oliver was coming with her, but she knew that he didn't believe her. Her father had also questioned her about the Vigilante the last time he came to town. He knew that she was the one who wrote the blog and he knew that she was working with the Vigilante, what he didn't know was what she actually did with him. He hoped that she was safe but knew her enough by now to know that there was no point in trying to tell her to step back.

"I feel like this town has gotten even worst since I left." Veronica stated as she looked out the window of the rental car.

She could see a couple of deputies talking down a kid that was obviously a PCHer. She wondered if he had really done something wrong or if they had arrested him to try and find something wrong and have an excuse to bring him in.

"Do you want us to stop by the cemetery before we go to your dad's office? It's on the way and we have the time." Oliver asked her.

"I... Maybe later. I want to see dad's new office first." Veronica shook her head.

When they arrived, Keith was in his office with a client and the phone was ringing. Unable to resist, Veronica went and answered it, like old times, just as Keith left his office and saw his client out.

"I'm sorry but I'm afraid Mister Mars does not offer this kind of services. No, really, he doesn't. Have a good day." Veronica replied before she hung up and went to hug her father before she reintroduced him to Oliver and John.

They talked for a few minutes before Keith closed his office and followed them to the restaurant where Oliver had made reservations for them, Mac and Wallace, who were going to meet them there.

Keith had met Oliver during his last visit to Veronica, he had been invited to have dinner at the Queen's and Thea absolutely adored him. Back then Keith had felt that there was something building between Veronica and Oliver, he could feel it growing slowly, discreetly, and he knew that even though they were pretending to be dating now, they were only fooling themselves.

.

"Well Oliver, we all owe you a thank you for convincing Veronica to come back in town. We all missed having her here." Mac told Oliver near the end of dinner, when they were starting to eat dessert.

"Don't get used to it, I'm not staying." Veronica warned her friends again.

Mac and Wallace were also in on the Veronica and Oliver pretend dating thing and just like Keith, they saw right through it.

"After all of her hard work in Starling City, she deserved a break." Oliver smiled.

"So did you." Veronica told him with a blush.

"I just manage a club, no big deal." Oliver replied with a wink and a half smile in her direction.

"So, what's new in town that I need to know about?" Veronica asked her father and friends.

"As I already told you over the phone, Lamb's big brother Dan is even worst than Don was. Sacks might be the only trust-worthy officer at the department." Keith stated.

"I wouldn't exactly say that. Remember Norris? Well, he's a deputy now. If I remember correctly, he had a thing for you, Veronica, didn't he?" Mac added, making her friend blush.

"It was back when we were in high school. And it's not like I'm planning on getting arrested anytime soon." Veronica shook his head.

"You never plan on it but it always happens anyway." Wallace joked.

"I guess I'll just have to keep a close eye on her then." Oliver added with an amused smile.

"I'll have you know that it's been over a year since the last time I was arrested, and back then they didn't keep me over 2 hours because I proved that I was innocent." Veronica told them.

"Why am I not surprised..." Keith shook his head, amused.

"Something's going on... Why are you bringing this up now? What's going on that makes you think that I'm going to get arrested or even start working a case worth getting arrested for?" Veronica asked after watching their faces closely.

"Told you she'd see through it." Mac smiled.

"So, she's right? Something going on? Something she's going to want to work on?" Oliver asked them.

"I'm sure you heard about Bonnie Deville's murder?" Keith asked her.

"Sure, it was all over the news but I've been so busy I never got around to hearing what had happened to her. Why? Is it still unsolved?"

"That's the one who changed her name, right?" Oliver asked curiously.

"Yes, her real name was Carrie Bishop, she and her friend Susan were real gossip queens back then." Veronica nodded.

"I remember you telling Thea about her a few months ago, when Thea told you she wanted to go to her next concert in town." He nodded back before they both turned back to Keith.

"Logan is the main suspect in her murder. He claims he's innocent and that he only went to see her earlier that day to help her through a crisis but the sheriff's department seems certain he did it." Wallace replied.

"Logan? Oh come on, that's ridiculous! What would his motive be?" Veronica asked, surprised by the answer she had gotten.

She might hate Logan for what he had put her through, for breaking her heart cheating on her and hurting her every chance he got but she had a hard time imagining him as a murderer.

"He was apparently cheating on Madison with her. There's a video of them having sex going around." Keith informed her.

"Well, I'm not surprised he cheated on Madison but Logan isn't a murderer. I mean, maybe if it was a crime of passion or something because he can be impulsive but according to what I've heard, Carrie's death didn't look like a crime of passion..." Veronica shook her head.

"Veronica, honey... Please don't go and look into this. You only have a few days here, don't waste them on investigating and getting in trouble." Keith pleaded with his daughter.

"Don't worry dad, I won't get arrested anytime soon. I've gotten really good at not getting caught whenever I have to get my information illegally." She smiled, not promising not to get involved.

She didn't want to end up breaking a promise she made her dad and so she didn't promise him anything, knowing that if she was to decide to look into it, Oliver and John would be behind her and help her as much as they could.

"Maybe, but the Vigilante isn't here to help you out and get you out of trouble, V." Wallace argued, making Veronica, John and Oliver smile.

"And what makes you think that I'm not the one getting him out of trouble most of the time?" She asked him, amused while John swallowed a snort.

"Because I've been your sidekick, I know what it's like. It takes a superhero to keep up with you." Wallace joked.

"Superhero? I don't think the Vigilante has any kind of superpowers that would make him a superhero." Oliver argued, enjoying these moments with Veronica and her friends.

This was what happy felt like.

"If he can keep up with V, then he's a superhero." Wallace argued back, making everyone laugh while the waitress came to ask if they wanted coffee.

.

"Shall I drive to the hotel now? or is there another place you want to see before we go?" John asked them.

"I... Let's go back to the hotel. Tomorrow we have the high school reunion. I... I'll go to the cemetery the day after that, once the reunion is done with." Veronica decided.

"Very well, if you're sure." John replied.

"I'm sure, thanks." Veronica nodded, feeling thankful for what they were both doing for her.

Once they arrived at the Neptune Grand, veronica found out that Oliver had reserved the honeymoon suite, the most expensive one outside of the Presidential suite, which would have brought up too many memories, along with another room, separate from the suite, for John.

"Aren't we staying in the same suite, together?" Veronica asked Oliver once they were in the elevator.

"We're supposed to be a couple in love, most couples don't share their suite with their bodyguard when they want to be alone. Plus, this way it'll make people talk more." Oliver smiled.

"You mean gossip." She chuckled.

"Well, Oliver Queen and Veronica Mars staying together in the honeymoon suite of the Neptune Grand is sure to make a few people talk." Oliver nodded.

"More than a few people. Just on our way to the elevator I spotted 5 people snapping pictures of you two with their phones. Looks like you'll make the gossip column again tomorrow Mister Queen." John replied.

"Well, for once it's not about something that I did wrong, so I don't mind." He smiled.

"What about your mother? Does she know you're only doing this as a favor for me or does she think that we're together?" Veronica asked Oliver as the elevator went up.

"She knows." He replied, hiding that, just like Thea, his mother believed they'd end up together eventually.

Once the elevator's doors opened, the three of them went into the corridor. Oliver and Veronica were carrying their own bags so John went directly to his room, leaving the 'couple' to discover their sleeping quarters.

"One bed." Veronica realized after looking around their suite.

"It's rare that people in this kind of room need more." Oliver chuckled before he added: "I'll take the couch."

"Don't be ridiculous, Oliver. Have you seen the size of that bed? We can easily share it. Hell, Laurel, Tommy, John and Thea could easily join us and we'd still be comfortable." Veronica replied.

"If you're sure, I'll happily accept to share it." Oliver nodded.

Of course he was used to sleeping on the floor but if he had the opportunity to be close to Veronica, he wasn't going to point that out. Maybe during the night she'll move closer to him and they'd end up in each other's arms. He wasn't going to pass up that opportunity.

.

Later, as she got ready for bed, Veronica smiled. She knew that Oliver liked to sleep on the floor and if he agreed to sharing the bed, it meant that Thea was right, he liked her in a way that was more than friendly. Could she risk their friendship and let it become something more? She loved working with him, by his side and she didn't want to Jeopardize it. He was one of the rare guys that she could actually trust with her heart, that she could see herself with for a long time.

Shaking her head, she decided not to think about that for now. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. In case room service came in, she had to look the part and she couldn't very well sleep in an old t-shirt and shorts, so she had gotten, with Thea's insistence, a nightgown that went up to her knees. It wasn't the sexiest one the store had, far from it, but it was one that was midway between sexy and decent.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, she noticed that Oliver was in his boxers. She took a minute to look at his chest. She loved looking at it, and usually, she had the opportunity when he was working out while she worked on the computers. He looked even better without the sweat.

"Wow, you look great!" He exclaimed when he looked up from his phone and saw her.

"Thanks, Thea got it for me." She smiled.

"So, which side of the bed do you usually sleep on?" He asked her.

"Usually I'm alone in it, so I sleep in the middle of it. Any side is good for me." She smiled.

Oliver nodded and took the right side of the bed, leaving her with the left one. She noticed that he was the closest to the front door. Once they were both in bed, they laid on their side and faced each other.

"Thank you for doing this Oliver, really. It means a lot to me." Veronica whispered, noticing how close they were.

Even though the bed was very large, they were both close to the middle, only inches apart.

"Don't mention it. It's the least I could do for you. Anything you need Veronica, if I can give it to you, do it for you, I'll do it." He confessed, deciding that this was the perfect place to open up and be honest.

"Why?" She asked him shyly.

"Because Thea's right, at least when it comes to me and my feelings for you." he whispered back, making her blush.

"I... If we're being honest here, I have to say that she's right about me too but... I'm scared."

"Why?" He asked her, confused.

"Because I don't want to lose you as a friend. I want there to be more between us. The picture of us that Thea paints, I see it and I do love it but I can't risk it not working out and us not being able to stand each other anymore." Veronica confessed honestly in a little voice.

"It could work. We could not break up."

"I know, but what if we do?" She asked him.

"I think we're both mature enough to keep on working together. To adapt with whatever comes. I... I know that in the past, in my past relationships, I've made mistakes but I'm different now. And what I feel for you, I've never felt this strongly before. If you want to wait until you're ready or until you're convinced that we can work out, that's fine Veronica. I can wait as long as necessary. I have faith in us." Oliver told her in a soft voice.

"You're very convincing." She chuckled, touched by what he had just told her.

"Do you trust me? Do you think I would hurt you?" He asked her.

"I do trust you, yes. I don't think you could ever hurt me, not intentionally. And I think that if you did end up hurting me, you'd do anything possible to make up for it." She admitted.

"But you're still scared." he noticed.

"I can't help it. I haven't had the best luck in boyfriends in the past. I didn't think Logan would hurt me either but he still did... I know you're not like him, I trust you more than I ever trusted him but I'm afraid that somehow I'll end up screwing up..." She confessed.

"You need to trust yourself a bit more Veronica." Oliver shook his head, moving even closer to her and softly bringing his hand on her cheek, moving it to her hair.

"You really want to try this?" She asked him.

"I do." He nodded.

"How about a trial then?" She asked him, leaning in to his touch.

"What do you mean by that?"

"During our stay here, we're a couple, not only pretending to be one but for real, even behind closed doors. By the end of our stay, on the plane back to Starling city, we decide of we really want to continue or if we just stay good friends." She explained her idea.

"And if we decide to stay good friends?" He asked her.

"Then we pretend this was only for pretend." He could hear in her voice that this wasn't what she wanted to see happen and that she needed this trial period to be reassured.

"I know what I want and I have faith that we'll work out but if you need this trial period then let's do it." He smiled.

"Really?"

"Yes. I agree to your conditions Miss Mars." he replied with a smile, moving his face close enough that only one inch was left between them.

"Usually, when a decision like this is made, people shake on it." Veronica hinted with a coy smile.

"Too bad that my hands are busy." He smiled.

One of his hand was in her hair and the other on her waist.

"What should we do to mark this agreement then?" She whispered, moving her face slightly closer to his.

"I think we should kiss. Now." he whispered before his lips softly brushed against hers.

The kiss was soft and sweet at first before it turned into more. More passion, more love. Oliver wanted Veronica to feel though this kiss how much he wanted her and how much he loved her and so he put everything he had into it, glad to notice that she was doing the exact same thing.

They didn't make love that night, they only kissed, talked and slept in each other's arms but it was the best night of sleep Oliver had gotten since the Gambit went down.

* * *

 **What did you think? Did they get together too soon? Should they go back to being friends at the end of their stay in Neptune?**

 **Next chapter is the Reunion. Weevil, Madison, a video, a fight...**

 **I'm thinking of bringing Mac to Starling city in a permanent manner, maybe even pair her up with Diggle or with Cisco later... What do you think?**

 **A little review to let me know what you thought of it?**

 **THANK YOU to those of you who take the time to read and review this story, you're the best.**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	7. The reunion

**_Part 7_**

 ** _The reunion_**

* * *

The next morning, Veronica and Oliver called John, telling him to take the day off if he wanted. They knew that he wanted to go to the beach and surf a little and since they wanted to spend some time just the two of them, they gave him the opportunity he was looking for. John happily agreed and told them that he'd be back in time for the reunion that evening, knowing that it'd would look more impressive if Veronica came not only accompanied by Oliver Queen but if their bodyguard stayed by the door as well. Plus he had heard and read so much about Veronica's past time in Neptune that John was afraid someone would try to pick a fight and he couldn't have Oliver exposing his real fighting skills in public.

Oliver and Veronica took their time getting ready. They still hadn't made love yet but they spent a lot of time making out that morning and when they finally came out of their room, they made their way in town. They used the time to just act like any normal couple, walk around and talk. They told each other things they hadn't told anybody else and Veronica knew that Oliver really trusted her when he told her absolutely everything that he had gone through during his 5 years on the Island and not only the main stuff he had told John. She was surprised to learn that Sara Lance was probably still alive and that she hadn't tried to make it home or at least to warn her family.

They found a nice place to eat around lunch and visited a few more places Veronica wanted to show him before went back to their room around 5 so they could get ready.

"Before we go down and face Lucifer and his demons, I don't have to warn you not to get into a fight, right?" Veronica asked Oliver who was amused by her comparisons.

"Why would I get into a fight?"

"In this town, you never know. An opportunity to fight always comes up." She shook her head.

"Well, I can promise you that I'll try not to get into a fight. And if I do end up getting into a fight, I promise to win it." he smiled.

"You can't win it by fighting Vigilante style or you'll end up attracting too much attention to yourself." She explained worriedly while she straightened his tie.

"Don't worry Veronica, even if I end up having a reason to fight someone, John's coming with us. Oliver Queen, normal guy, will probably leave the fighting to his bodyguard while he wraps his arms tightly around his lovely girlfriend's waist." he reassured her, taking her in his arms and kissing her softly before looking at her with a smile.

"Good." She smiled back at him.

"So, how many ex boyfriends will I run into tonight?" he asked her.

"Well, Duncan won't be here or he'd risk getting arrested and having Lilly taken from him. Troy didn't stay in Neptune high long enough to be invited to this thing and Piz didn't come to high school with us so I guess that just leaves Logan."

"What about this Weevil I heard so much about?"

"Weevil and I were just friends, sometimes not even that. I did favors for him and he did favors for me when I needed to solve a case and couldn't do it on my own. We were favor friends. Never dated. Lilly's the one he dated." She shook her head.

"Okay then, are you ready to head down and face everyone?" He asked her.

"No but I don't think we have a choice. If we don't come down, Wallace and Mac will come up here to get us." Veronica smiled.

"Let's go then." He nodded, guiding her outside while making sure to keep his arm reassuringly around her waist.

.

As soon as Veronica and Oliver came in the room, everyone stared at them. While John stayed at the door, Veronica led her boyfriend to the welcoming table to get her name tag, making a point to ignore everyone who was watching her and frowning when she realized who was at the table.

"I'm shocked you even had the guts to show your face here tonight." Madison snarled at Veronica while her two friend eyed Oliver with envy.

Veronica knew that, somehow, Madison would find a way to blame the fact that Logan had cheated on her with Bonnie on her, even though she hadn't spoken to Logan since she had caught the two of them together while he was supposed to be too sick to go out with her. She wasn't surprised by her hostility but she did enjoy watching Madison's face morph from anger to jealousy and envy.

"Well, I knew you'd be here. Tell me honestly Madison, you've been standing here since graduation, haven't you?" Veronica replied, making Oliver chuckle before he kissed the side of her head, bringing Madison's attention to him only.

"Is that... Are you... How... I can't..." Madison was about to say more when Veronica smiled, satisfied with her boyfriend's impression on her old enemy and cut her off:

"Let's go Honey, there are some good people I want you to meet."

"Can't wait. Lead the way, my Love." he smiled as Madison glared daggers at Veronica.

"You know that if looks could kill she'd have killed you ten times since we left her table, right?" Oliver whispered in Veronica's ear, making her laugh.

"Oh, I do and I'm enjoying the fact that, for once, I'm making her suffer and not the other way around. It's well time she learned that karma is a bitch."

They walked and greeted Mac and Wallace before Wallace left to flirt with an ex cheerleader who had promised him a date if she was still single 10 years after graduation, leaving Mac alone with the couple.

"I still can't believe that you took a job for Jake Kane." Veronica told her friend, shaking her head.

"I know, believe me, I know that I've sold my soul to the devil... But the pay is so good!" Mac replied.

"You know, if you wanted to leave town, I could get you a job at Queen consolidated. In Starling City or anywhere in the world. I know how talented you are with a computer and we could use more people like you at Queen Consolidated." Oliver suggested, knowing that Mac was very talented as well with a computer.

"Thanks, I appreciate it but I'm kind of used to this town now. I don't know if I'd be able to leave." Mac replied.

"Well, the offer stands. You know where to find me if you change your mind. Any friend of Veronica is a friend of mine." Oliver smiled, making Veronica proud of him.

 _(AN: remember that in this story, Veronica is just as good as Mac is with a computer.)_

"It would definitely be better than working for Jake Kane." Veronica agreed.

"I'll think about it. So, I know I'm changing the subject but Logan isn't here yet." Mac mentioned.

"He might not come if everyone thinks he killed that woman." Oliver commented.

"Oh, he'll show up. He probably just wants to make an entrance to make sure everyone sees him come in. Though I won't be surprised if he shows up drunk." Veronica replied without interest.

"He'll probably wait until Madison is busy with the video presentation before coming in. I don't think he'll have the guts to confront her yet." Mac added before shifting the discussion to other people and how much they had changed, or not.

Mac left them then to greet someone else and Veronica spotted Weevil and Dick, each on a side of the room. Without hesitation, she guided Oliver toward Weevil and the woman who was probably his wife. They talked for a few minutes, even making plans to meet one evening during their stay so Veronica could meet Valentina, Weevil's daughter, before Weevil had to go and see someone else.

It surprised Veronica to see how much Weevil had changed and she was truly happy for him. He had a beautiful wife, a charming daughter, a job he loved and a nice, normal life, far from what it was back when she left town about 9 years ago. He even got along well with Oliver and Veronica made a note in her head to invite Weevil and his family to visit her in Starling City later.

Wallace joined the couple again for a few minutes before Dick came and offered them some of the alcohol from his flask-belt, figuring that that would earn him some point in Oliver's eyes since he owned a club and was rumored to be a party boy as well. Veronica decided to be the better person and they talked with him for a few minutes, but refused the alcohol, before he walked off to see Gia.

"So, that was the infamous Dick... Interesting... I get the feeling that he's stuck in his teens." Oliver commented once he left.

"Yes he's kind of weird but not a bad person. Just the kind of person I'd like to avoid for the rest of my life." Veronica replied with a chuckle.

Veronica was introducing Oliver to Corny and catching up with her old friend when Logan entered the room, bringing everyone to stare at him. Veronica only glanced up to see who everyone was looking at before she went back to her conversation with Oliver. Corny left them and Wallace and Mac joined them again.

"Veronica, long time no see." Logan said from behind her.

"We'll be over there." Mac told them, pointing to the side.

She didn't want to be caught in the crossfire between Veronica and Logan if they started arguing or fighting.

"Not long enough." Veronica shook her head, leaning closer to Oliver.

"I'm surprised you came. I thought you'd stay in Starling city." Logan commented.

"The only surprise when it comes to you is that you're here sober. Or at least not as drunk as I thought you'd be." Veronica shook her head.

"You must be Oliver Queen, I heard that you came here with Ronny but I thought it was just gossip or something." Logan told Oliver, offering him his hand to shake.

Veronica cringe when he called her Ronny. It was a nickname she used to love but now hated. She didn't want to be reminded of that girl. Ronnie was Lilly's best friend and Duncan's girlfriend. Ronnie died when she was raped and when all of her friend abandoned her. She had told Logan how much she hated that nickname back when they were dating so either he hadn't cared enough to remember or he was saying it just to annoy her. Maybe he was trying to get her angry, to get a rise out of her.

"Why wouldn't I come with my girlfriend to her high school reunion?" Oliver replied as he accepted Logan's hand and shook it, tightening as much as he could to show Logan who really was the strongest male around.

"I'm Logan Echolls." Logan declared arrogantly, well aware that an Alpha male contest had just broken between the two of them.

"I know who you are." Oliver nodded uninterestingly.

"What do you want Logan, we're kind of busy here?" Veronica asked him, wanting him to leave her alone.

She wasn't really hurting anymore, she definitely didn't have any feelings left for him but she couldn't stand him, she just knew that if she spent too much time with him, he'd end up screwing up her life like he always seemed to do.

"I need your help Veronica. I didn't kill Bonnie, I need you to prove it to the sheriff. I know that you're still a PI, I know that you solve cases in Starling city and that you're even better at it now than you were back then, I've red the articles. I need your help." Logan pleaded.

Of course, over the time she had been in Starling city, Veronica had solved a few important and big cases that had put her name in the newspaper. A rich girl kidnapped, a famous star robbed... These kind of cases had gotten her a couple of headlines and the local newspapers spoke of her every few weeks. She was surprised that Logan cared enough to know about these but she tried not to show it.

"I'm not exactly here to stay Logan. I only came for the reunion because Wallace and Mac asked me to come. I have a job to get back to in Starling city." She argued.

"I can pay you for your work here, you know that." He argued.

"Money is not a problem for her." Oliver stepped in.

"Please Veronica, I really need your help, everyone else thinks I did it just because the sheriff wants me to be guilty." Logan pleaded again, trying very hard to ignore Oliver's presence but unable to keep his eyes away from the billionaire's hands around Veronica's waist.

"I don't even know where I would start, Logan. Oliver needs to be back in Starling City in a few days for an important meeting and I won't have enough time to look into this until then."

"Why don't you stay here without him? It's not like you need a man with you and if you feel like you do, I'm here." Logan chuckled while Oliver glared at him.

"Because we're together and I simply don't want to stay here on my own. Especially not to help you. I don't owe you anything Logan and I have a life waiting for me in Starling City." Veronica shook her head.

"I can pay you a lot of money Veronica, please. Please help me prove that I'm innocent." Logan tried at this moment to touch Veronica's arm but Oliver stopped him.

"You're far from innocent Logan. I heard why you're the main suspect, you were seeing Bonnie behind Madison's back. Kind of your pattern, right? Cheating on your girlfriend has always been your MO. You did it to Lilly, you did it to me and apparently you also did it to Madison. I'll see what I can find while we're in town when I don't have anything special planned but I can't promise anything. I have a lot planned in my short time here and I'm not sacrificing anything for you." Veronica replied coldly before she led Oliver further way to see the presentation on the screen.

"Do you think I was wrong to tell him that I'd look into it?" She asked Oliver.

"I know you enough to know that you want to know who did it. Not specially to clear Logan's name but because you want justice and you want to know the truth. Plus, you're not alone. John and I will help you, you know that." Oliver replied with a smile before he guided her to where Wallace and Mac waited.

"But you don't like him, right?" She asked him with a smile.

"You know me well." He smiled back before he kissed her and looked at the screen with her, by Mac and Wallace's side.

Weevil and his wife had joined them.

"What did we miss?" Veronica asked her friends, mentioning the video presentation.

"So far not much, they've shown pictures of the ones who are dead like Susan, Carrie and Felix, and they're starting to give out trophies." Wallace replied.

"Anyone we care about won something?" Veronica asked again.

"Not yet." Mac shook her head.

A few minutes later, Weevil proudly received a 'Most changed' trophy, which should have been the end of the presentation. Except it wasn't and by the look on Madison's face, Veronica knew that it wasn't an accident. On the screen, in front of everyone, was the video of Piz and her, not having sex but close enough, that had been done near the end of her freshman year at Hearst when she went after Jake Kane's secret society.

"You've got to be kidding me..." Veronica shook her head, not embarrassed but annoyed.

Oliver knew about the video, she had told him about it and, curious, he had looked for it.

"Hey! Shut this down now!" Wallace yelled before he ran for the back room where the video had to be playing to shut it down.

Already John was coming their way, ready to help any way he could while Madison's date, someone Veronica had never seen before or at least didn't recognize, tried to stop Wallace from going to the back room but Weevil pushed him away, always ready to help Veronica, especially after everything she had done for him. Another guy went in to help his friend and Logan jumped in the fight, surprisingly defending Veronica's honor.

Suddenly, it was becoming a big fight and John was trying to stop anyone from stopping Wallace.

"Looks like you were right about the fight. Don't worry, I'll be careful but I have to defend your honor, right?" Oliver smirked before he went by Weevil's side to fight those who were on Madison's side.

"This won't end well." Veronica muttered before she took a lighter from her purse and used it to set the sprinklers off.

"This is all your fault Veronica, I'm sure you're proud of yourself, aren't you? Even when you're not here you manage to create trouble and to ruin everything for everyone that's better than you. You always ruin everything!" Madison snapped at Veronica angrily.

"Don't start with me Madison. I don't see how any of this is my fault, whether you're speaking about this fight or about Logan cheating on you. You knew him, you knew he cheated on Lilly and on me and you still got with him. It's not on me, it's on you. Now move before I make you move." Veronica tried to tell her calmly.

She really wanted to go to Oliver and make sure that he was fine and hadn't exposed himself.

"Or what? You're going to taser me? Isn't that a little old school?" Madison smirked as water kept on falling on the room.

Smirking back confidently, Veronica punched Madison as hard as she could, knowing it would leave a mark.

"How's that Madison? Original enough for you?" Veronica asked her nemesis before noticing that the fight, and the video, had stopped and that Wallace, Oliver and John were back by her side.

"Nice punch, Love." Oliver complimented.

"Been a long time coming." She justified before checking if any of them were hurt.

Thankfully, none of them were injured and Oliver had managed to keep his fighting to a minimum, only preventing people from injuring Weevil or Wallace.

"Maybe we should leave, sir." John suggested.

"I totally agree. I've been here long enough, seen everyone I wanted to see and too many people I didn't want to see." Veronica nodded.

"But it's still early, we don't see you that often Veronica. Come on, don't call it a night!" Mac argued.

"Who said anything about calling it a night? I'm sure the 5 of us can find somewhere else to go tonight." Veronica smiled.

"There's the 09er, a new club. We could go there." Wallace suggested.

"Unless you want to go to the after party that Gia is throwing." Mac suggested.

"She did invite you and said that she wanted us to come." Oliver reminded her.

"Okay then, let's go to Gia's party, we can always leave it and go to the club if it's too boring." Veronica nodded.

All in all, the rest of the night went fine. John and Mac got along well and danced together a while, making Veronica wonder if her friend would end up coming to work in Starling city after all. Mac would be a great addition to their team.

* * *

 **Another part over and it keeps growing since I have planned a 9th part that will be all about creating Veronica's vigilante character. Her name, her costume, her weapons... You have an idea or a suggestion? Don't hesitate! I might change my plans to include your suggestions if they're good. The name she'l use actually came to me while writing this chapter.**

 **Don't forget to tell me what you think in a review!**

 **Love you all!**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	8. The cemetery

**_Part 8_**

 ** _The cemetery_**

* * *

The day after the reunion, John drove Oliver and Veronica to have lunch with Keith where they learned that Weevil had gotten in some trouble the night before. When her father told them what had happened, Veronica felt like rolling her eyes. Neptune hadn't changed, it had even gotten worst. The rich like Celeste Kane still controlled everything and didn't care whose feet they stepped on to get out on top.

"I'll take care of it. He'll be fine." Veronica immediately told her father in a very confident tone when he mentioned that Cliff had asked him to look into it.

"Veronica..." Keith started to say but she cut him off:

"I can get Celeste to tell the truth after only one talk with her. Trust me dad, I know exactly what to tell her." Veronica assured him.

"Fine, I'll give you until tomorrow afternoon. If by then you haven't fixed it, I'll handle it. I don't want you to start getting involved with what's going on in town here. It's too dangerous." Keith warned her and she nodded quickly, already knowing that Celeste would have no choice but to do what she said once she knew what Veronica knew and could do.

.

After lunch, Keith went back to his office and John drove Veronica and Oliver to the cemetery where Veronica went alone to Lilly's grave.

"Hi Lilly. I know that it's been a while since I've come to see you. I'm sorry. I just couldn't come back here, I was afraid I'd get stuck in all the lies and the pain that comes with this town and wouldn't be able to leave again. It's weird being back. The town has changed so much and so little at the same time..." Veronica started to say, looking around as she said the last part.

"You know, I used to be able to see you, your ghost or your spirit, I don't know what but some part of you. I used to see you when I was about to walk into danger, as a warning, or when I was headed in the wrong direction. I stopped seeing you when I left town and I figured that it was because I was on the right track... But I miss you. I miss you so much Lilly..." Veronica took a breath and smiled.

"I know that somehow you're the one who put me in Thea's way, who guided me to her and I thank you for that. I don't know if you did it because she needed me or because you wanted me to meet Oliver but I thank you. We do make a great team together, don't we? Since meeting him and working with him, I finally feel like I'm reaching my full potential, like I'm the person I was always meant to be. About Oliver, will it work out? Do you know something? I wish there was a way for you to send me a sign to tell me that he's the one, that my instinct is right to believe in him and that I have nothing to be afraid of."

At this moment, a little gush of wind blew around Veronica, for a very short time but long enough to send a small flower flying behind her, pointing in the direction of the parked rental car where John and Oliver were waiting.

"Thank you, Lilly. I don't understand how you can do this but Oliver told me that he's seen some mystical things during his time on the Island, so I know it's really you. I'm taking this as a sign that I should trust my instinct and stay by Oliver's side, give us a chance. I know you'll find a way to warn me if I'm wrong or making a mistake." Veronica chuckled.

"I hope you're in peace, wherever you are and if you ever have the opportunity to drop by for a chat, please do. You'll always be my best friend Lilly, no matter who comes into my life and who leaves it, you'll always be number 1. I'll try to come back sooner. Nine years is a much too long time to be away, I know and I'm sorry." Veronica sighted.

"On to another, more cheerful, note, I thought you'd like to know that your niece and Duncan are fine. They're safe and leading a nice life. I found them a few years ago and let's just say that they're both okay. I don't keep in touch too much, just once or twice a year to have news but they're not alone, they're with people who'll make sure they're both fine." Veronica added.

"I have to go now, I need to talk to your mother and get her to say the truth about what happened last night to clear Weevil's name. If you still like to see her lose, you should watch because I just know she'll be putty in my hands once I've talked to her." She smiled at her dead best friend's grave.

"I love you Lilly. I miss you. I'll come back to see you before I have to go back home. And I promise to come back to see you again before 9 more years pass by." Veronica concluded before she said her goodbye and went back to the car.

Veronica was walking to the car when Lilly's ghost, or spirit, appeared to her, unchanged since the last time she saw her and still in the same outfit, and ran, laughing, to the left side of the cemetery giggling:

"Come on Veronica, you don't want to miss this."

Veronica decided to trust her friend and she followed the direction Lilly had shown her. She walked only a minute before she spotted Gia dropping flowers on two graves. Susan Knight and Carrie Bishop's. Sensing someone behind her, Gia turned around, stood up when she recognized who was there and went to meet Veronica.

"Hey Veronica, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine, I was here to see Lilly. Where you close to them?" She asked back, pointing to the two graves.

"Yes, we were good friends. The best." Gia nodded.

"I heard that Susan died during a boating accident, is that true?"

"Yes, we were all there that night, partying. She was drunk and upset, talking about the baby she had to give up for adoption. I guess it was too much for her." Gia replied nervously.

"What about Carrie, I mean Bonnie, do you really think that Logan did it, that he killed her?" Veronica asked her.

"Why? You're going to look into it? Take on the case?" Gia asked her, obviously hoping for a negative reply.

"I'm thinking about it." Veronica nodded.

"I thought you'd have rushed back to Starling city with your billionaire boyfriend and his bodyguard by now. Seems like everything is working well for you, aren't you afraid it will all come crashing down if you stay here and help Logan? What will Oliver say?" Gia asked her.

"Oliver knows me well enough to know that I need to know what really happened. Until I know it, I won't be able to concentrate on anything else and you know me, I know the truth when I hear it. I believe that Logan didn't kill her and I just know that something not right with this case. Logan has many faults but he's not a killer." As Veronica spoke, she could see Gia growing more nervous and she knew that she was hiding something and afraid of it being discovered by Veronica.

"Ss, So you're... hum, you're staying here for a while, then?" Gia asked her, paler and looking close to cracking.

"Until I know that justice has been served." Veronica nodded before she added:

"Why are you so nervous Gia? What are you hiding? Do you know what happened?" Veronica asked Gia, using her most popular scary face.

She looked determined and had a hand in her purse. Of course there was only her cell phone on record there but she knew that Gia would be expecting her taser. Gia tried to resist a few minutes but veronica insisted and Gia ended up cracking, telling Veronica everything that truly happened to Carrie and to Susan. She told Veronica who the real brain was and how scared she was of what he'd do to her.

"You know you have to tell the truth, right? You won't get in trouble, you'll just have to insist on the fact that he scared you and forced you to do his bidding, that he forced you to have sex with him, that he was blackmailing you. With a good lawyer, you won't even have to do time in jail at all." Veronica told Gia when she was done.

"I'm too scared." Gia argued.

"Listen, I have your entire conversation recorded on my phone and a copy has been sent to me by mail so I could always send this to the cops but I really think that if you go and tell the truth on your own, it'll look better and you'll have less chance of getting in trouble. I can drive you there myself right now if you want." Veronica insisted and, with a few more arguments, she managed to convince Gia to come with her.

Once they arrived in the car, Veronica didn't tell everything to Oliver immediately but asked John to drive them to the sheriff's station where she went in with Gia and stayed by her side until she had told the entire truth and until her lawyer arrived. Then, Veronica went back to her boyfriend and explained what she had found out.

"Less than a day and you managed to solve a case their entire department has been failing, that's impressive." Oliver commented.

"And it's not going to make me any more popular with the new sheriff, I guess it's a good thing that I don't live in this town anymore." Veronica smirked.

"I can't believe she spoke this easily." John shook his head.

"She was scared of what I'd do. She thought I had my taser with me. I told you, people here are as scared of me as the villains of Starling City are scared of the Vigilante." Veronica smiled.

"Where to now?" Oliver asked her with a proud smile.

"I should get this over with and go speak with Celeste Kane now." She replied.

"Yeah, show everyone in this town what they're missing when you're not here. I mean, you've been gone 9 years, you come back for a party and solve two big cases in one day. That's got to get people talking." John chuckled as he started the car.

"I don't think they ever stopped talking about me. Everyone I've spoken to so far seems to know a lot about my life in Starling city. It's like they have a weekly ' _what is Veronica Mars up to_ ' column in the newspaper or something..." Veronica replied.

"Well, I for one am glad you decided to move to Starling." Oliver added before he kissed the side of her head lovingly.

"Me too." Veronica nodded, leaning in to his side to enjoy the comfort he gave her before she had to face Celeste Kane.

.

Veronica rang the doorbell while John and Oliver waited for her once more except this time they didn't wait in the car but leaned against it to enjoy the sun while they could.

"Veronica Mars, what do you want?" Celeste said with a frown once the maid showed Veronica to the living room.

"I want you to tell everyone the truth about what happened to you last night. I know that Weevil is telling the truth and that he was framed. I want you to tell everyone the complete truth." Veronica replied with confidence.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Celeste laughed before she added:

"Why would I do that?"

"Because if you do I can get you something you want." Veronica smirked.

"There's nothing I want that you can give me." Celeste shook her head.

"Not even your son and your granddaughter?" Veronica asked her, knowing that she had won.

"Even you can't bring them back to me, Veronica Mars." Celeste snorted.

"Bring them back to you? No, you're right, I can't do that. But I can show you a picture of them right now and arrange for them to call you for a few minutes, maybe even an hour, on a secure internet connection before the end of the week. That would give you the opportunity to convince Duncan to let you meet the two of them for a little vacation somewhere safe." Veronica replied calmly, knowing that she would get what she wanted.

"I don't believe you." Celeste shook her head.

"Which is why I'm going to show you the picture now. Then, you have to clear Weevil's name and pay for all of his medical bills. Once he's free of all charges, I'm sure you'll be able to lawyer up and make sure you don't get in trouble, and I'll get Duncan to contact you." Veronica replied as she opened her purse, took her wallet out and after removing a few things, took a small picture out.

The picture had been taken 2 years ago. Duncan was holding Lilly and, in the background, you could only see a grey wall. Veronica knew exactly where this picture had been taken of course, in the headquarters of ARGUS, but to Celeste, it would look like any grey wall.

"This picture was taken 2 years ago, I don't have the most recent one with me. I talk to them twice a year." Veronica replied before she added:

"You can keep this one if you want."

"How?" Celeste asked in a small voice.

"I'm only a PI but that's by choice. I had a lot of other options when I graduated College. One of these options put me in Duncan's way and, wanting him and Lilly to be safe, I made sure he'd get the job I was offered. It's a top secret government agency that even you, Clarence Wiedman or your husband don't have any connections in. They take care of their own and even though he can't come home, he has everything he needs. Lilly has a private tutor and is doing well with other kids of the people that work with her father." Veronica replied.

"What's the name of this agency?" Celeste asked her.

"I can't tell you that. Maybe Duncan will answer you if you ask him." Veronica shook her head.

"Why hasn't he contacted me or his father if he is able to do it?" The rich divorcee asked.

"It's not that easy to do and it's the kind of things he can't do that often. After you tried to help get his daughter back to his other, abusive, grandparents, do you honestly think you'd be the first person he'd call? I know that he contacted Clarence Wiedman a few months after he left and that he's the one who asked your hit man to kill Aaron Echolls to protect me and Logan. He's still angry with you but I can get him to call you, to talk to you and to let you talk with Lilly. Once Weevil's name is cleared." Veronica replied, insisting on the last part.

"You must be enjoying this, right? Me, in a position where I have to do what you ask in order to get what I want." Celeste snarled.

"Actually yes, I am. Now, I'm going to go and enjoy my time left here with my friends. Tomorrow I'm going to pick up Weevil from the hospital and drive him back to his wife and daughter. He should be discharged around 9 am. That's your time limit. If by that time you haven't cleared Weevil, then not speaking to your son for the rest of your life will be the least of your worries because I'll make it my mission to ruin your life. I think that you know me enough to know that I don't have to be in Neptune to do it and that I can do it from Starling city. Plus, with your husband's secret society and everything I know on them, he won't help you against me. You're move Misses Kane. Make the right decision, for once." Veronica explained before she left the house, a winning grin on her face.

"I... I'll do it." Celeste called after Veronica before she got her phone out and contacted her lawyer so he could meet her at the sheriff's station with a reporter, knowing that it would go better and quicker if it was public.

"It feels so good to be right!" Veronica exclaimed as she sat down in the rental car.

"She'll do it?" Oliver asked her.

"Yep." She grinned.

"I'm curious, what is it that you told her to convince her?" Oliver asked her.

"I told her that I'd be able to get her son to contact her for a little chat."

"How are you going to arrange that?" John asked her as he drove the car to a little coffee shop.

"Have you ever heard of Argus?" Veronica asked them.

"My ex wife works for them." John nodded.

"I've crossed them during my time away." Oliver replied.

"They tried to recruit me when I left College. Actually they tried before I was done with College. I went with them on a mission and found Duncan and his daughter. He was about to move away again. He'd been on the run ever since he left Neptune, never staying in one place long enough to make any friends... Long story short, he ended up helping me and Argus with the mission while an Argus babysitter watched over Lilly. At the end of the mission, I decided to go back to College and see what I'd decide later and they recruited Duncan instead. He doesn't have my skills but he had learned some things over his time on the run and they knew he wouldn't run away since he was wanted home." Veronica explained.

"And you've seen him since that mission?" Oliver asked her.

"Only through webcam, on a secure line. I helped Argus a few times, knowing that if I need help they'll be here. Two years ago I left town to go on vacation away. I met with Duncan and watched over Lilly while he went on a mission where he couldn't take her. I'll just call Amanda Waller and ask her to get Duncan to call his mother as a favor for me. He'll do it." Veronica explained.

She remembered how shocked she had been when she saw Duncan again for the first time since she had helped him disappear. She had been on a mission to help Argus with locating a criminal they wanted to add to their suicide squad and she had literally run into Duncan. He knew how to find the person she was looking for and so he helped her, getting himself noticed by Amanda Waller who ended up recruiting him when Veronica declined the job they offered her. They knew that this way, Veronica would stay in touch with them, that they'd get a chance to get her to work with them, especially if they put Duncan on these difficult missions.

Duncan had accepted without hesitating, they provided him and his daughter with a safe place to stay, where they didn't have to run away all the time. He didn't have to look over his shoulder and Lilly could go to school with the other Argus's children. He could work and make some friends without having to say goodbye every few months. It wasn't the safest job ever but it was challenging and it provided him with a safe place for his daughter. He had filed, with Amanda Waller, the necessary paperwork so that, if anything happened to him, Veronica would be the one who took care of his daughter.

.

The next morning, when she went to pick up Weevil from he hospital, they learned that his hospital bills had been paid completely and Veronica was about to show him the newspaper article that showed Celeste Kane telling the truth.

"I thought you didn't have any _get out of jail free cards_ left?" He asked her with a smile.

"I found this one a while back, kept it for a rainy day." She replied, amused.

"Thank you, really. So, where is that rich boyfriend of yours?" he asked her.

"With Wallace and John. I think they're surfing or something." She replied.

"I like him, you know. He might be rich but he's different than Logan and his crew."

"I know. He used to be like them though, before the... 5 years away."

"Maybe we should drop Logan and Dick off on that island then." Weevil joked, making Veronica chuckle.

"Seriously though, thank you for clearing things up and for believing in me enough to help. I really appreciate it." Weevil told her.

"You're welcome. Now let's hurry, I think you're late for a tea party with a charming little princess." Veronica smiled.

"Will you be attending as well?"

"I've been invited, it would be rude not to come." Veronica nodded.

.

"Veronica isn't with you?" Keith asked Oliver as he let him in his house.

"She'll be a little late, she's attending a tea party with Weevil and his daughter." Oliver explained with a smile.

"Good, that gives me the opportunity to speak with you privately." Keith declared, making Oliver nervous.

"Something's wrong?"

"I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to answer me truthfully, is that clear, son?"

"Crystal, sir." Oliver nodded, feeling like he was 15 again.

"Are you the Starling city Vigilante that my daughter has been working with?"

"What? Why?" Oliver asked, surprised and was about to say more when Keith added:

"Please don't do me the offence of lying. I've been working long enough to know when someone is lying, even someone as good as you or my daughter."

"I... yes, I am." Oliver nodded.

He saw no point in lying to the man. He was Veronica's father, he could be trusted.

"Good. Can I trust you to watch out for Veronica?" Keith asked him.

"Of course. I've been looking out for her ever since I met her. At first because I felt like I owed her after everything she did for my sister and because she intrigued me. John and I have her back. Always." Oliver replied in a low voice.

"I trust you because I know you love her. I can see it. I want you to promise me that you'll help her find a way to conceal her identity when she's out there doing vigilante work. I know nobody can stop her if she sets her mind to it so I want you to promise me that she'll be safe. That she won't get in trouble and that you'll make sure she's trained." Keith asked Oliver with a very serious face.

"I promise, sir. We haven't had much time to work on it lately but it's planned." Oliver nodded.

"Good, then I guess you can call me Keith again. Now, I promise I won't tell anyone about you're nightly hobby as long as Veronica is safe." Keith smiled.

"Thank you, sir. I trust you." Oliver nodded just when John's rental car was parked in front of the house, revealing Veronica and John.

.

Before they left town, Veronica kept her promise to go and see Lilly one last time. This time, she took Oliver with her, feeling like she needed to introduce him to Lilly, even if it was through a grave. After that, she spent some more time with Wallace and Mac, saw Jake Kane from across the street but didn't try to speak with him. He saw her as well and though he didn't speak to her, he smiled and nodded. Celeste had probably told him about Duncan, maybe he was even there when their son had called his mother.

On the plane ride back home, John was napping, happy with all the surfing he had been able to do. Oliver and Veronica were sitting face to face.

"So, the end of the trial period you insisted on is here. I... Honestly Veronica, I don't want it to stop. I like this, us. I know we can work in the long run. Maybe we'll argue or fight but it's the way things are, we'll be able to make our way through it. We're strong enough Veronica, strong enough to make it." Oliver told her, holding her hands tightly in his.

"I agree. The two of us together, it's so easy... From the moment we decided to give it an honest try, we just clicked, as though we had been doing it for years. It's weird and... nice, I guess. I love us being together, I don't want it to stop." She replied with a bright smile before she added:

"Us together, it makes me happy."

"Good, because it makes me happy too." Oliver nodded before he kissed her.

"Me too guys, but not as happy as Thea will be when she learns the truth." John declared from his seat, his eyes still closed.

"We should probably tell her before we get there so we don't have to endure all the jumping and the 'I told you so'." Oliver chuckled.

"How much do you want to bet that she'll have a party ready to celebrate the fact that we're together and that she was right all along?" Veronica nodded with a smile.

They decided to wait until the private jet had landed. As soon as they were out of the plane, they texted Thea that they were on their way back and that they were now together, dating. Thea only replied with several happy emoticons but when they arrived at Queen's mansion, where Veronica had left her car, Laurel, Tommy, Thea, Walter and Moira were waiting for them with a small party that Thea had just put together.

* * *

 ** _Here we are with Chapter 8, I have planned until chapter 14 for now._**

 ** _What do you think? Longest chapter yet._**

 ** _Love? Hate? Don't forget to review please!_**

 ** _I love you guys for reading and reviewing!_**

 ** _Lorelei Candice Black_**


	9. Making Karma

**_Part 9_**

 ** _Making Karma_**

* * *

Veronica had enjoyed her time back in Neptune more than she had expected to but it still felt nice to finally be home, especially with Oliver as her boyfriend. She liked the normalcy of it all. Her relationship with Oliver was going well and on their first night back, they made love for the first time, in her little apartment. It amazed her that it felt like they had been together for years when it was really just days. They just clicked together and the after sex shower had been the best she had ever had.

He had surprised her the next morning with the best breakfast she had ever tasted. He had made her an omelette, muffins, freshly pressed orange juice and a great cup of coffee.

"I didn't know you could cook. This is very good food." She told him with a smile.

"Thank you. My cooking is my best kept secret. Only you know of it." He replied, proud of himself.

"Well, if being a billionaire ever stops working for you, you can always open a restaurant and become a cook." She suggested with a smile.

He laughed it off and kissed her, bringing her back to the bed quickly.

In the back of her mind, Veronica made a mental note that her last remark was pointless. Even if Oliver stopped having money, she'd have enough for the two of them. Indeed, with Mac, they had dusted off the old purity test and were planning a new one. it was an easy way to make money and Veronica planned on investing it to ensure she'd still have plenty of money.

.

A few hours later, they were both back under Verdant, back to work. Veronica went back to her researches on Moira and Malcolm Merlyn while John and Oliver looked at what had happened in town while they had been away.

"You know, since there's nobody too important to stop right now, maybe we should start working on your Vigilante outfit, Veronica." Oliver suggested.

"Really? You think so?" She asked him, stopping what she was doing for the moment.

"Sure, no time like the present, right?"

"Okay, so what are we thinking?" John asked, interested as well.

"Well, I've been thinking about it. I wanted some red at first, because Lilly always said that I was a red satin kind of girl but I also wanted some forest green on it to make sure everyone knows that I'm on Oliver's team, so I guess green and black would be best. I don't want people to start calling me the 'elf' or something if I start dressing in red and green." Veronica explained.

"You're small enough though." John joked, getting a ball of paper send right to his head while Oliver hide a chuckle under a cough and a fake serious face.

"Are you sure that you want to make it that obvious that you're working with me? If I ever get in trouble, you'd be in trouble too." Oliver asked her, concerned.

"I don't care. I'm with you and they will know it." She smiled before she went to kiss him.

"Have you ever thought about the design of your outfit or even your name?" John asked her.

"I think I have the name figured out. I want a green mask over my eyes, a leather outfit, green. Black pantyhose, the solid, not transparent, kind, not the kind that will get a hole in it five minute in. A green skirt, a black utility belt with my black electrified whip attached to it, a small camera, a lighter, a knife... I'm not sure what should be in it yet. Maybe some kind of smoke grenade to mask my exit or use as distraction. I'm even considering a small cape but I'm not sure." She explained, seeing it in her mind.

"You've really thought about this seriously." John complimented.

"I like it. What about your hair? Do you want to leave them free or you want to mask them?" Oliver asked her, his hands on her waist.

"I'm not sure. I think we'd have to try. Either a hood like yours to hide them or leave them free. I don't want to hide them under a wig." She replied.

"You guys here? Is it safe to come down? I'm alone!" Tommy's voice interrupted them from the top of the stairs.

"Yes, come on in Tommy." Oliver called back.

"You guys are hard at work I see." Tommy smiled.

"We're discussing Veronica's secret identity. Her outfit and everything." Oliver replied.

"How is that going?" Tommy asked.

"Pretty well." Oliver said.

"The weapon might take some time though." Veronica argued.

"Actually I've asked a contact of mine to work on it when you mentioned it last time, it should be available soon." John corrected her.

"In the mean time, I got you something, so you can practice." Oliver added, going to a table on the side where he picked up a box that had arrived at the club earlier and that he had put aside until the right moment.

Inside, Veronica found a whip. It was the kind she wanted, long, smooth to the touch and black.

"Looks like it was taken out of a western movie." Tommy declared while Veronica jumped in Oliver's arms to thank him.

"I love it." Veronica stated excitedly.

"Now you just need to learn how to use it." John told her.

"Oh I've used one in the past. During the summer between my sophomore and my junior year of College I went home with a friend who needed my help. She had a ranch and her grandfather taught me how to use a whip." Veronica explained and, to prove that she was saying the truth, she cracked the whip in the room and used it to knock the keys out of Tommy's hands without hurting him.

As the whip knocked his keys out of his hand, Tommy cried out, surprised.

"Damn, girl!" Tommy exclaimed, looking from his unharmed hand to the keys on the floor.

"I've heard that one before." She chuckled.

"But you said you'd need to practice when you first mentioned getting this weapon..." John was confused.

"Because I want to learn to do more with it. I want to perfect my whip-grab. Wouldn't it be cool if I could just use it to grab the bad guy's weapons before they try to use it?" She asked him.

"I love you so much!" Oliver exclaimed, turned on by this side of Veronica, who blushed under his declaration.

"So, Tommy, why did you come down if not to get the life scared out of you by Veronica?" John asked.

"Right, I almost forgot. Laurel wants the four of us to have dinner, like a double date." Tommy told Oliver.

"Sure, when?" he asked his friend after Veronica nodded.

"Tonight? Unless you have something planned." Tommy replied, glancing at the arrows.

"We can have an early dinner, tell her that we have something else planned so that if something that requires our attention happens, we have an excuse to run off without it being weird." Veronica suggested.

"Good, I'll make reservations then." Tommy nodded before he ran back upstairs, where he needed to supervise a delivery.

.

Oliver went back to his family's home to get changed (and pack a few change of clothes to keep at Veronica's) before he went to pick her up and drove them to the restaurant Tommy and Laurel had chosen.

"So, are you nervous?" She asked him on the way.

"No, why should I be?"

"Well, the last double date you had with them was with Huntress and it didn't exactly go well." Veronica replied.

"It was different then. We were at different places. You and Laurel are friends and I'm completely over her. Why, are you nervous?" he asked her.

"Kind of, yes." She nodded.

"Don't be, everything will go fine. It'll be a dinner between friends who happen to be coupled up." he reassured her before parking the car.

"It won't be weird or awkward?" She asked him.

"No, it won't. Don't worry too much. Trust me." He told her with a smile, making her return the smile and relax.

"I do, Oliver." She assured him.

She was happy and she knew that he was, too. They had a similar view on things and were true partners in all aspects of their lives. He had told her things about his 5 years on the Island that she knew he hadn't told anyone else. He had told her about Shadow, about Sara Lance being alive and even about Constantine and Argus. She knew everything he had been through and she understood him better than most, just like he understood her better than even her father did.

Laurel was happy when they arrived and they all sat and had dinner together, cheerfully. Oliver had been right, there was zero weirdness, they were just two couples of friends having dinner together, on a normal week night.

"I don't know how you do it, Veronica." Laurel stated when their dessert order came.

"What do you mean? How I do what?" Veronica asked her.

"How you eat everything you eat and keep that waist-line. And how you still have room for dessert after everything you ate tonight." Laurel explained.

"My father would say that it's a gift." Veronica smirked.

"He did warn me during our stay to always have enough food because Veronica can eat her weight in lasagna when she sets her mind to it." Oliver added.

"Well, if the lasagnas are good, why not?" The blond Pi replied, unashamed.

"Thea told me that you didn't even work out, is it true?" Laurel asked her.

"Well, I don't go to the gym, but I do work out. With my work, I'm always running after someone to catch them or to keep up and get the money shot. When I don't, well, I find ways to work out on my own." Veronica replied.

"I tried going to the gym a few times but I stopped. It's just too... I don't know, boring I guess. There's too many guys there who only think about flirting and girls who want to be seen." Laurel shrugged.

"I know what you mean, when you actually go there to work out, you're uncomfortable because you're flirted on and feeling humiliated because of the other girls there." Veronica nodded.

"Flirt? Who flirted with you?" Oliver asked Veronica, curious.

"I only went once, on a case. Don't worry, he got tasered in the privates and never came close to me, or any girl working out, ever again." Veronica replied in the same tone one would use to finish a fairy tale.

"That's my girl." He smiled with pride.

"Maybe you should stop going to the gym, Laurel. I mean, Veronica can work out on her own, surely you could too, right?" Tommy suggested, making the two women smile with amusement.

They were just leaving the restaurant when Veronica stopped walking and froze. Tommy, Laurel and Oliver stopped as well, confused. Oliver turned his head to look all around them, wondering if she had spotted a potential threat as he asked her:

"What's wrong? Veronica, what's going on?"

"I... I'm not sure, I'm probably wrong, it couldn't possibly be her." She shook her head.

"What is it? Who did you see?" Laurel asked her.

"What's in that building?" Veronica asked back, pointing to a door a few feet away from them, on the other side of the street.

She was used to seeing Lilly's ghost or spirit occasionally but her mother? That was new and it took her by surprised, like a punch in the guts.

"No idea." Oliver and Tommy replied.

"At this hour they have AA meetings there. I now because I drove my father there a couple of times. What's going on?" Laurel replied.

"I swear I just saw my mother walk in there. But it's impossible, what would she be doing in Starling city?" Veronica replied.

"When's the last time you saw her?" Laurel asked her.

Laurel knew all about Leanne and the effect she had on Veronica. They had spent time together and talked about their parents one time and Veronica had told Laurel about everything her mother had done to her.

"The night I solved my friend Lilly's murder, at the end of my junior year of High school, when she left our house with the 50.000 dollars my father and I had earned on a big case, along with all my savings that were supposed to pay for my college education." Veronica replied, not hiding the resentment in her voice.

"Do you want us to check it out?" Oliver asked her.

"I... Yes, let's just go and take a look." Veronica nodded and the four of them crossed the street and went through the door Veronica saw her mother go through.

Apparently, this place held a different meeting every night. Gamblers, eaters, alcoholics, cheaters, shy people, people with dept, compulsive liars, compulsive buyers... They easily found the room where the meeting took place but the door was closed and there was no window to look inside.

"We can't come in, it's anonymous for a reason..." Laurel argued.

"I know... I... I'll just wait outside, let's go." Veronica decided.

Once back outside, Tommy and Laurel went back to their car to go back home while Oliver stayed with Veronica.

"You know that you don't have to stay, right?" Veronica asked him.

"You need me, I'm here, Veronica. We both know that if the role were reversed, you'd stay with me." he replied.

"I don't even know if I'll be able to speak with her if it's her that I saw." Veronica shook her head.

"You have no idea of what she's been up to during the last few years?" He asked her.

"No, she didn't show up for my high school graduation or for my college graduation. She didn't try to check if I was okay... She obviously doesn't care much about me but if that's the case, why is she here? I've been in the newspaper enough so she has to know that I'm here..." Veronica shook her head.

"Maybe she's doing better and has looked for you to apologize. That's part of their 12 steps program, isn't it?" he asked her.

"I think so but... I don't know. I... Actually you know what? I don't want to think about this anymore, I don't want to know if it's her or not. If it's her, let her find me and find a reason to get me to listen. I don't want to get my hopes up and see them getting crushed when it turns out that she's not here or that she's here but didn't look for me to make amends but to ask me more money. Let's go home." Veronica decided, taking Oliver's hand and guiding him back to his car.

"Are you sure?" he asked her, concerned.

"Yes, I am." she nodded.

Oliver drove back to Veronica's place and, while she went to change in the bathroom, he called John and told him what happened.

"You want me to look into it?" John asked.

"If you don't mind, yes I would. If it's her, try to find out why she's here without revealing who you are and that you know Veronica." Oliver replied in a low voice.

"Sure thing. I'll let you know what I find tomorrow." John agreed before he hung up the phone.

.

Veronica didn't mention her mother again and pretended the incident never happened. John hadn't been able to find anything because he had been stuck behind an accident and had arrived after the meeting was over and only one person was left behind, putting everything back in place. However, he promised to keep an eye open, for Veronica.

Oliver decided to call Keith and warn him of what might be going on. Keith had no idea where Leanne was and he warned Oliver to not let the woman hurt Veronica again.

"She has the capacity to hurt Veronica more than any villain you'll encounter, simply because she's her mother and will always have a way in her life. Don't let her go close to your sister, either. She's bad news." Keith warned him before he hung up to meet with an informant of his.

Deciding to follow Veronica's lead, Oliver never mentioned the incident again either, though he kept an eye out, just in case Leanne really was in town.

A few days passed and they easily forgot about Leanne while they chased Bad guys and dug info on Moira Queen and Malcolm Merlyn. Tommy had helped them hack into Merlyn Global's computers after being explained their suspicions and it helped speed their search up.

About a week after having seen her mother from afar, Veronica came to Verdant as she always did after her day job, except that this time, she had a large bag with her.

"What's this, honey?" Oliver asked her, curious.

"My outfit. Or a potential one that is. I want you opinion." She replied before going to the back and changing into it.

She didn't have the electrical whip yet but she was doing well enough with the normal one for now.

When she stepped out, she was wearing a dark green (the same as Oliver's hood) leather top that covered her shoulders but showed her cleavage, a black belt with pockets, a dark green skirt, some black pantyhose and black boots with small large heels. Her mask was made of the same green as her top and her skirt and tied under her hair. She had a large, elegant, black **K** on her chest and a green bow tied her hair together leaving a couple of strand of hair to surround her face. The black whip that Oliver had gotten her was tied to her belt.

She had considered a cape and had changed her mind for now. Maybe she'd find a design she liked later.

In her belt, Veronica had a small kit to break locks, a couple of small explosive and smock grenades that Oliver had provided, an USB key, because it could always be useful, a pair of cuffs, a flashlight and a knife. She would have loved to be able to put lights around her mask so that she didn't have to carry a flashlight but it wasn't easy to make right now, on her own. Maybe she'd do it later.

"What's the **K** for?" John asked while Oliver was still looking at her, obviously liking what he was seeing.

"Karma. That's the name I want to use. Because Karma is a bitch." Veronica replied with a smirk.

"God you're hot. I love it." Oliver smiled, going to kiss her.

"Really? I did good?" She asked nervously.

"I think it's perfect. Fits who you are." John nodded.

"Me too. Let's go." he suggested.

"Go where?" She asked him, confused.

"Out, we'll find someone to bust together and we'll introduce you to Starling City's villains." Oliver replied excitedly as he grabbed his own outfit to change into.

He couldn't wait to be out there with her, to see her in action. It made him feel like Arrow was going on his first date with the woman of his dreams and he loved the feeling. It was another proof that they were perfect for each other.

"Okay, let's go." She nodded, just as excited as he was.

"Have fun you two, I'll stay here and supervise." John told them as they left on Oliver's bike.

* * *

 **What did you think? Karma is my new favorite female superhero I think. Should she have a cape? What do you think of my idea for a mask that light on? (that will have to wait until she meets Cisco ;-) )**

 **A little review please? I love reading them.**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	10. Paternity

**_Part 10_**

 ** _Paternity_**

 _AN: In this chapter, I'm mentioning Samantha Clayton. I'm changing the facts here and making it my own, so please don't go angry when what I write is different than what's in the show, though it might change later on, I might have an idea or two to make things interesting..._

* * *

It was a pretty quiet day and Veronica was able to go to Verdant earlier than usual. Thea had been by after school, to talk with Veronica about her new crush: Roy Harper, a boy she met while dropping up a file for Veronica in the Glades. Veronica quickly did a check up on the boy's background and emailed it to Oliver with a note saying that he was Thea's future boyfriend, just to keep him in the loop of things and because she felt that Roy could be bad news and needed to be watched closely.

Veronica was spending less and less time in her PI office. She was getting her fill of bad guys and investigating working with Oliver and she was considering abandoning her PI office all together. She made plenty of money with the tests she and Mac sent out and she made even more money buying stock in divers companies, including Queen Consolidated.

That afternoon, because it was still afternoon, Veronica was alone in their secret lair under Verdant. Oliver was upstairs taking care of some club business with Tommy (they needed to hire a new cook) and John was spending some time with his nephew on his day off. She liked being down there because it was the one place in the world where she felt like she truly belonged.

Her outfit was now posing on a mannequin in a glass case right next to Oliver's and she loved it. She loved seeing it there and she loved being reminded that Oliver was the one who fit her in every aspects of her life. He didn't try to control her or to force her to stay at a desk, he pushed her to be herself, to not be ashamed of the things she wanted or did. She was the best version of herself with him.

She went out with him almost every night now and she loved kicking ass by his side. Her new vigilante identity was starting to be known and they had even talked about her on the news a couple of times. They called her by her name, Karma, but also as the Arrow's girlfriend. Obviously they were bad at hiding their feelings for each other, even when they were on the field, but she didn't mind. She liked that now, everyone knew that he was hers. Oliver Queen belonged with Veronica Mars and The Arrow belonged with Karma. People were even starting to discuss a couple's name for them. The debates were going between Karrow and Arrma. Personally, Veronica didn't care which one they used, she wasn't a fan of this new trend of giving couple's names and neither was Oliver, even though Thea called them Veroliver quite often.

The electrical whip that John had ordered for her from a person he knew could do it still wasn't ready but she was pretty good with the normal one so far. She kept a normal taser in her utility belt and it was enough for the time being. She hadn't had to fight anyone hand to hand yet but, just in case it become necessary, she was planning on asking John and Oliver to teach her how to fight.

Veronica started work on her usual Moira and Malcolm old documents search as soon as she came in when she stumbled upon something, while looking over Moira's old documents, that she couldn't believe. She checked it several times, made sure it was really what she thought before she called Oliver, who was upstairs, and asked him to come down, with Tommy. The two friends came down together, curious about what she wanted to tell them.

"What's wrong Veronica?" Oliver asked her.

He knew she was there of course but he didn't expect her to need him this soon, he was busy making decisions for Verdant with Tommy when she called. He knew that she wouldn't have called if it weren't important, which had him worried.

"I found something." She replied.

"About whatever my mother is planning with Merlyn?" Oliver asked her.

"No, about something else. I... It's going to shock the two of you but you both need to know." She started to say, looking for the right words to say.

"How does it involve me?" Tommy asked.

"I'm just going to say it. According to what I found, I can show you everything later, and I doubled check to make sure I was right, Thea is Malcolm Merlyn's daughter." Veronica revealed, showing them everything she had found that proved that point as she spoke.

"Thea's my half sister?" Tommy asked while Oliver sat down.

"I know it's not easy to accept. Apparently your mother did a paternity test to check it when Thea was born and I have the results here but we can always do another one if you want, just to make sure. I know someone who can have the results to us in less than a day." Veronica replied.

"No, no need. We're going to confront my mother and then we'll tell Thea." Oliver decided.

"She knows that I suspect Malcolm of being a bad guy, she's not going to take the news well. She saw me looking through files about him a few days ago and I told her that I suspected him of being at the head of an evil plan..." Veronica added.

"She's strong and she has you, us. She'll be fine." Oliver nodded.

"I can't believe it. I was starting to accept the fact that my father would eventually die or go to jail and now I find out that I have a sister I never knew about." Tommy shook his head.

.

The three of them took Tommy's car and quickly arrived at Queen Consolidated where Moira was sitting alone in her office and looking over a file seriously.

"What's going on? What are you doing here? Is something wrong?" She asked them, alarmed.

"I don't know mom, would you consider the fact that we just found out that Thea is actually Malcolm's daughter as something wrong?" Oliver asked her angrily while Veronica held onto his hand to calm him down.

"What... how? Veronica, you're spying on me?" Moira asked, looking completely taken aback.

"Don't put this on Veronica! Walter found out where you were keeping the Gambit and that it wasn't an accident and since I didn't trust you enough to ask you anymore, I asked Veronica to look into it." Oliver snapped, not letting Veronica reply.

"Is Thea my sister?" Tommy asked.

"Yes, I'm sorry. It was a one time thing, your father was cheating on me, Oliver, I was sad, depressed, and Malcolm was there..." Moira nodded, looking devastated that this piece of truth got out.

"Does my father know?" Tommy asked her while Veronica tried to calm Oliver down.

"I don't think so, I never told him but Malcolm is so devious, it's hard to know what he actually knows and what he doesn't." Moira replied.

"I can't believe this..." Oliver shook his head.

"Ollie..." She started to say but he cut her off:

"He's evil, mom! We haven't found much yet to prove it but we know it. We know he had a hand to play in the Gambit going down, we know that you know about it. How can you be working with him?" Oliver yelled.

"I'm not working _with_ him!" Moira replied, insisting on the word WITH.

"We're telling Thea, she deserves to know." Oliver warned his mother before he turned around and left her office, followed by Tommy and Veronica.

"I'm sorry." Moira called and Veronica turned around.

One look was enough for Moira to understand that Veronica would try to smooth things over but the mother knew it wouldn't be easy.

.

"I texted Thea to join us at Verdant as soon as possible." Veronica informed Oliver and Tommy as they drove back there.

"I hope she won't take it too badly." Oliver sighted.

"We just have to emphasis the fact that Tommy is now her half brother instead of Malcolm being her father." Veronica replied.

"Easier said than done." Tommy added.

"Especially since she's had a crush on you in the not so distant past." Veronica muttered but she knew that they had both heard her.

Thea arrived at Verdant at the same time they did. She had been hanging out with Roy and had rushed here as soon as she had received Veronica's text.

"What's going on? Do you need my help with a case or something?" Thea asked her.

Though it wasn't what she was planning on doing for a living, Thea liked helping Veronica on cases once in a while.

"No Thea, we need to talk. I found something out earlier that you need to know. It's going to make you upset, but you need to know that you're not alone, that we're here for you." Veronica replied as soothingly as she could.

"Now I'm worried." Thea tried to joke.

"Thea... Did Veronica tell you that she was trying to find information about whatever Malcolm Merlyn is planning?" Oliver asked his sister.

"Yes, she did, why?"

"In order to do that, she had to look into mom's old records."Oliver continued.

"Okay... So what, are you trying to tell me that mom is working with Malcolm? That she's evil too?" Thea asked his brother.

"Well, yes but that's not what we need to tell you here." Oliver replied at the same time as Veronica said:

"Not Evil, no."

"What is it? Why do you all think I'll fall apart once you tell me?" Thea asked.

"Thea, your mother had a short affair with Malcolm a long time ago. It was apparently a one time thing but... They... Thea, Malcolm is your biological father, meaning that Tommy here is your half brother." Veronica explained.

"I... Are you serious? Please tell me that this is a joke!" Thea asked in a small voice.

"I'm sorry, we're very serious." Veronica affirmed.

"I can't believe it... I... You're my brother?" Thea asked Tommy.

"Yes, I am." Tommy nodded.

"Oliver and I will leave the two of you alone to talk. If you need us, we'll be downstairs." Veronica announced before she dropped a kiss on top of Thea's head and guided Oliver down the stairs.

"Thank you, Veronica." Oliver told her once they reached downstairs before he wrapped her in his arms and held her close to him.

"What for?" She asked him.

"For being here." he smiled before he kissed her.

"So, did you get my email earlier?" She asked him to change the subject.

"About Roy Harper? Yes, I did and I don't like him one bit." Oliver replied.

"I'm not surprised you don't, but I think you should give him a chance."

"Fine, I'll try not to be too harsh when she introduces him to us." he smiled.

"On to another note, I saw a name while checking your mother's financial reports that I know I've heard before, I think Laurel must have mentioned her to me a while back, but I'm not sure... maybe you can help me."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Samantha Clayton." Veronica replied and watched as Oliver become confused.

"It's a girl I knew, I cheated on Laurel with her once. How do you know the name? Where did you see it?" he asked her.

"Your mother wrote her a check for one million dollars. Look." Veronica replied, showing him the page where she had seen this evidence.

"Samantha thought that she was pregnant. I was so shocked, I didn't know what to do, so I went to talk with my mother. At the time I thought that it meant my life was over. The next day, Samantha called to tell me that she had miscarried. She moved to Central City right after that. The date on this money transfer is from the day Samantha told me she had miscarried." Oliver replied.

"If she miscarried, why did your mother pay her?" Veronica asked, voicing what he was thinking.

"Do you think she lied to me? That she took the money my mother offered and had the baby?" Oliver asked his girlfriend.

"I'd like to tell you that she was probably telling the truth but by now I've learned that people lie. She could have had the child, given it up to adoption or kept it. She could have really miscarried or maybe she took the money and interrupted the pregnancy... There are a lot of options." Veronica replied.

"Do you think you could check it out for me?" He asked her.

"Of course, I'm almost insulted you needed to ask. You should know by now that I can do almost anything and what I can't do on my own, I always find someone who can do it for me." She replied with a smile before she went to the computer and started typing.

"Well, she works in an Art gallery in Central city and apparently doesn't have children. She's married though, has been for a couple of years. I'm hacking her medical records now... Oh."

"What is it?" he asked her, coming closer to her and the computer screen.

"She had an abortion one week after she received the money." Veronica replied.

"I guess now we know why my mother paid her. Thanks for checking it out. And for telling me. I like that I can count on you to be honest with me, that we don't hide anything from each other." he told her, kissing her softly.

.

A few minutes later, Tommy opened the door to the basement and told them that they could come back. Thea was feeling better about this new discovering in her paternity and even if she was still angry with her mother, she agreed that it would be for the best if she pretended that she didn't know anything in front of Malcolm. She didn't want him to have anything to do with her. She trusted Veronica when she said that he was a bad person and she didn't want to risk becoming like him. She was in a good place in her life, she didn't want him to jeopardize that.

"Hey, are you okay Speedy?" Oliver asked his little sister.

"Yes, I just gained a second big brother, who wouldn't like it?" Thea smiled.

"Your future boyfriend." Veronica joked.

She obviously brought up something Thea hadn't thought of yet because she frowned and put her head in her hands.

"Don't worry, Oliver promised me to be reasonable." Veronica added.

"What boyfriend? Who's this guy? I didn't promise anything to anyone!" Tommy asked.

"His name is Roy Harper. I don't like him." Oliver replied before telling Tommy more about Roy while Veronica talked with Thea.

* * *

 **Part 10 in, people. This is a short one compared to the chapters to come.**

 **Are you angry with me for erasing William from existence? be honest.**

 **Wow, this one shot is getting really big, isn't it? I have planed for 4 more parts, probably more. Part 12 will be the beginning of season 2. I hope I'll have enough inspiration to bring in The Flash and his team, I have plans for Cisco.**

 **Love you, dear readers of mine!**

 **Lorelei Candice Black.**


	11. Undertaking

**_Part 11_**

 ** _Undertaking_**

* * *

After she discovered Thea's paternity, Veronica went back to her researches and, less than two days later, had figured out what Malcolm was planning. She had been through so many pieces of information without finding anything that the only things left for her to find was exactly what they needed to know. She had piles of "maybe something or part of something" information and she had finally found exactly what she needed to piece them together. Half a letter, a map, a symbol, an email and other things that had finally led her to the right conclusion.

"So, what is it?" John asked her.

"He's building a weapon, some kind of machine that can create man made earthquakes. It took me this long to figure it out because he's been hiding it by building it in different companies. I don't know where he wants to use it though. Maybe he wants to sell it to the army but then what would be the point of calling it an Undertaking and of making such a big deal out of it?" Veronica replied.

"I guess there's only one thing to do then." Oliver sighted.

"And what's that?" John asked him.

"Ask my mother and keep on asking until she tells us the truth." he replied, determined.

"It'll have to wait a couple of days, she's still out of town on her business trip." Veronica reminded him.

"Then we wait." Oliver nodded.

"While we wait... I was thinking..." Veronica started before pausing long enough to think of the right way to ask them.

"You look nervous, what is it?" Oliver asked her.

"I'd like you and John to help me learn to fight. I mean, I can throw a punch, Madison's face can attest to that, but I'd like to be able to fight against bad guys if I ever lose my whip. I mean, we never know. I should be able to defend myself and attack them, right?" Veronica explained.

"Makes sense to me." John nodded, knowing that it was up to Oliver to decide.

"I don't like the idea of you anyway close enough to a bad guy to take a punch but I guess it makes sense. Alright, we'll train you." Oliver nodded.

"Great! Can't wait!" Veronica exclaimed happily before she joined Oliver and John where they usually trained and took her first lesson.

.

Laurel knew that if the roles were reversed, Veronica would try to find answers for her. She had helped her often find evidence to win her cases and she owed her, which is why she had asked her father to help her, to do this for her.

"Did Veronica ask you this?" The detective asked his daughter.

"No, she doesn't know that I'm asking you either and she can't know, not until we know if it's really her mother in town or not." Laurel shook her head before she added:

"Please, dad. I know that you're not her biggest fan because she often worked on cases you worked on and solved them before you guys did but she's helped me out a lot and I owe her. I really want to help her and the least we can do is warn her if her mother is really in town or not."

"Fine, I guess I can do this for you. All I have to do is go to AA meetings all around town until I spot her?" he asked confirmation.

"Yes. Here, I asked Oliver to find me a picture of her. It's a bit old but it's all we have for now."

"So Oliver knows about this?" Quentin Lance asked.

"Yes, and he's agreed to keep the secret for now. He got the picture from Keith. I mean, from Veronica's father. He doesn't want her to come back into Veronica's life and ruin it either." Laurel replied.

"Yeah, well, with what little I've heard about her, can't say I blame him." Quentin nodded before he left to go back to work.

.

Veronica had just trained with John and Oliver for a few hours and went home to shower before a stakeout when her phone rang.

"Hey Mac. What's up?" Veronica asked her friend after looking at the caller ID.

"Oh, you know, not much. I was actually calling to ask you if you thought Oliver's job offer was real." Mac asked her.

"Of course it was. Why? Are you considering it?" Veronica asked her.

"Actually I am, yes. It's getting kind of lonely here in Neptune. Wallace is always working or dating or something and working at Kane's... Not exactly the kind of place I want to make friends at." Mac replied.

"Well, you're always welcome here and you'd be able to stay with me until you find your own place."

"Isn't Oliver already staying with you?" Mac asked, a smile in her voice.

"Not officially, no. We kind of sleep at each other's places. I spend the night at his place, he spends the night at mine... We each have a few change of clothes at the other's place. We just spend the night wherever is closer when the day is over." Veronica replied.

"By the way, I heard there's a new Vigilante in town. Karma. Cool name, right?" Mac asked and Veronica could feel that her friend was trying to ask her if she was Karma.

"Totally. Love her." She replied, amused.

"I bet. Do you think she's really dating the green hood guy?"

"We call him Arrow now and yes, I do. Why? You're jealous of her?" Veronica asked her.

"Not really, just curious." Mac smiled.

"You know what they said: curiosity killed the cat." Veronica replied.

"Good thing I'm not a cat then, or have one." Mac smirked.

"So, what else is new?" Veronica asked Mac.

"Not much. The rich get richer, the rest of us keep on working for them and the sheriff's office is as corrupted as ever, though your father is working on it." Mac replied.

"What do you mean?" Veronica asked her friend, concerned.

"He asked me to hack a few files. He's working with Sacks but I think that now Norris helps him too. A truck almost ran them over a couple of days ago but they're fine. Sack just had a broken leg. I can't help but wonder what would have happened if Norris hadn't been with them though."

"He never told me any of this." Veronica shook her head.

"Because he doesn't want to worry you and he knows that if you get too worried, you'd go back to help him. He doesn't want that." her friend explained.

"I can take care of myself, I'm very resourceful." Veronica replied.

"I know, Karma." Mac replied.

"You know?"

"I know you, it's not that hard to connect the dots. I'm guessing Oliver is Arrow?"

"Please don't say anything to anyone. It's a secret." Veronica pleaded.

"I know how a secret identity works Veronica, don't worry, you can trust me."

"I know." Veronica replied.

"But if Karma starts showing up in Neptune every time your father is in danger or every time you come to town, other people will start guessing the truth." Mac warned her.

"I know but I don't like to know that my father is risking his life for a town that doesn't deserve it." Veronica admitted.

"I know but you have to trust that he knows what he's doing and that he's just as stubborn as you are."

"I know." Veronica replied before she hung up, took her shower and went on her stake out.

.

Two days later, when Moira finally came back from her business trip in the middle of the afternoon, Oliver, John and Veronica were waiting for her. Tommy was taking care of the club and Thea was there as well because Roy was now working there, thanks to her two big brothers.

"What's going on? Is Thea okay?" Moira asked when she saw them together with very serious faces on.

"Thea's fine, for now." Oliver replied.

"What do you mean?" Moira asked her son.

"What's the Undertaking? We know about the earthquake machine, now we want to know when and where Malcolm is going to use it." Veronica blurted out.

"Where have you heard that word?" Moira asked.

"Just answer us, mom. Whatever it is, we know it's bad and you need to tell us about it. You need to come clean or we won't be able to stop him." Oliver snapped, half pleading.

"You can't stop him, even the Vigilante couldn't stop him." Moira shook her head.

"What are you talking about?" Veronica asked her, confused.

As far as she knew, Oliver had never gone after Malcolm Merlyn as the Vigilante, so what did Moira mean?

"Malcolm is the Black Archer, the one that the cops called the copycat. Oliver... I... You can't stop him." Moira said.

"Tell us what the Undertaking is, now." Oliver snapped, very serious and, at that moment, his mother understood that his son was the Arrow, that he was the one she had shot in her office a few months ago.

Believing that he could, maybe, stop everything or at least save some people, she decided to tell him everything, to believe that he'd do what's right. She'd face the consequences, it was her own fault for not standing up and fighting Malcolm earlier. he wasn't alone, he had Veronica, whom Moira believed to be Karma and John, his bodyguard who was apparently doing a very good job so far.

"Malcolm plans on using it to level the Glades and everyone in it." Moira dropped like a bomb.

"What? Why?" Veronica asked.

"Because his wife was killed there and nobody helped her. He's crazy... I tried to get out of it when I discovered everything after your father died, Oliver, but I couldn't and then when I tried again, he took Walter. He scares me too much." Moira replied, pleading them to forgive her.

"When?" Oliver asked, too angry to forgive his mother right now.

"Tonight." Moira replied, ashamed.

"That's why Malcolm wanted to see Tommy tonight, why he insisted so much and got so angry when Tommy told him that he couldn't bail on work just for him." John realized.

"Apparently it wasn't enough to get him to change his plans." Oliver shook his head.

"Thea's at Verdant with Roy and Tommy, and Laurel is working late at her office tonight with several other lawyers, they're having a big reunion!" Veronica exclaimed.

"Where is it?" Oliver asked is mother.

"I don't know." She whispered.

"Where is it?" Oliver demanded to know, much louder.

"I don't know, Oliver, I swear!" Moira replied.

"We need to warn people, Oliver... Try to evacuate the Glades and locate this thing." Veronica declared, trying to calm him down.

"I... I'll have an emergency press conference to tell everyone the truth." Moira decided, taking her phone out to get everything organized while Oliver, John and Veronica left the house in a hurry.

Oliver called Tommy and Veronica called Laurel, telling them about what they had heard and warning them to evacuate as soon as possible, to head to Queen's manor. John called his sister in law and warned her as well. Moira would get the word out with her press conference but if they could get a head start, it would be better.

.

When Malcolm saw Moira on TV, warning everyone of his plan to level the Glades and insisting on his involvement, he was furious. How dare she!

He tried to call Tommy one more time but his son was refusing his calls and all he could do was hope that he's leave the Glades along with everyone else.

Quickly, he dressed in his League of Assassins uniform before left his office, right when Detective Lance and his men arrived to arrest him. Going through the window, he ended up on the roof of Merlyn Global, where he could see the entirety of the Glades he would destroy.

He wouldn't stop now, he'd turn it on and bring the Glades down, he'd kill everyone who was left in it and he'd do it as soon as possible to punish those who lived there before they evacuated and once he was done, he'd punish Moira, Oliver and Veronica as well because he knew that Oliver and Veronica had a play in it.

.

While Oliver and John made sure the Glades were evacuated as safely as possible, Veronica managed to select a couple of possible locations for Merlyn's earthquake maker. Now that she knew why he had done it, she had crossed the old subway maps they had collected with the locations where Rebecca Merlyn used to worked and was attacked. While she did it, she called Mac, asking her if she'd be willing to help them from a distance. Of course Mac agreed and Veronica sent her everything they had on the Earthquake maker so her friend could talk John through dismantling it.

Once that was done, she changed into her Karma suit and, while John went to disarm the machine with the help of Mac, who was doing the best she could from her apartment in Neptune, Veronica joined Oliver in fighting and trying to stop Malcolm. She knew that he'd need her help to bring him down before everything went off and she wanted to make sure he wouldn't be hurt.

They might not be able to stop him before the things went off, so they needed John to try and dismantle it before it went off. Mac was connected to him through their ear pieces to talk him through stopping it. They couldn't know if Merlyn had already turned it on or if he was only going to turn it on whenever he wanted from wherever he was hiding, so they had to be prepared for everything.

Before they left, Veronica checked her phone:

"Thea just texted me. Moira was arrested. Tommy and Laurel just arrived and are staying with her. Roy isn't there yet though and she's worried. I told her that we were fine and safe, just unable to reach them." Veronica replied before she jumped behind him on his bike.

As Oliver drove, Veronica couldn't help but wonder if they'd look better riding together if she was wearing a cape. She thought it would be cool and Oliver told her that if she wanted to try, he'd help her find one. Now wasn't the time to think about it though so she shook her thoughts out of her head and concentrated on the road and the people trying to escape the Glades.

She couldn't help but notice that whenever there was people or cars on the streets they took, they moved aside to let her and Oliver through. Maybe all hope wasn't lost for mankind after all.

"Isn't that Roy?" Oliver asked her from his place in front of her on his bike a few minutes later.

They were riding in an empty streets of the Glades and Roy was there, trying to help people trapped in a bus. The doors were blocked by a parked truck and there was no way for the people inside to get out. Apparently, nobody had tried to help them before they evacuated.

"Yes, that's him." Veronica confirmed before they both went to help him and advised him to go to his girlfriend's before things went south.

Roy nodded and both Veronica and Oliver went back on the bike, riding as fast as they could to where they believed Malcolm Merlyn to be hiding.

"Ready Karma?" Oliver asked Veronica once they were about to jump building to reach the one where Malcolm was.

"As I'll ever be, Arrow." She nodded, wrapping her arms around him so he could transport the two of them when he jumped buildings.

They quickly found Malcolm, on top of a building, where he could see the chaos he was going to create.

"Well, if it isn't the Vigilante and his girlfriend. You're too late." Malcolm smirked.

"No, we're not." Oliver replied before he started shooting his arrows while trying to avoid the ones thrown at him.

Quickly, Veronica used her whip to disarm Merlyn but the man was quick to fight back in hand to hand combat against both Arrow and Karma.

"The Lady needs more training." Malcolm smirked as he sent Veronica on her ass.

"The lady is going to taser you in the balls." Karma growled angrily.

After a few minutes of fighting, both Vigilante heard through their ear pieces that John had effectively disarmed the threat.

"It's over Malcolm." Oliver told him, managing to pin an injured Malcolm down.

"No, it's not." Malcolm smirked as he pressed on a button they hadn't seen before.

Veronica then tasered the man, which immobilized him long enough for Oliver to inject him with a solution that would knock him out a few hours.

"No! Look!" Veronica exclaimed, pointing to the east side of the Glades.

"He had two..." Oliver realized in horror.

"We should have known that one wasn't enough to level everything, he had to have anther plan..." Veronica shook her head.

"Hopefully people will have had the time to evacuate by now." Oliver replied as the cops, warned by John, arrived to take Merlyn in.

Not willing to risk getting arrested by detective Lance and his men, Oliver and Veronica left just as they arrived.

"Here goes my office and my apartment." Veronica sighted as they both rushed to the destroyed part of the Glades to try and help as many people as possible.

"You'll just stay with us then." Oliver replied with a smile.

"Is this your way to ask me to move in?" She asked him with an amused smile.

"What if it is?" He asked her as they both climbed on the bike, knowing that John would meet them there.

"Of course I'll move in with you, but just so you know, there was an easier way to ask me to move in with you, one that didn't involve destroying my street." Veronica joked.

"I'll work on it for the next time." Oliver replied before driving faster.

Once they stopped, Veronica got her phone out and texted Tommy that they were alright and going to check on the part of town that had been hit by Malcolm. Tommy replied that everyone was fine as well on his hand.

For hours, Karma and Arrow helped the firemen and everyone else find survivors and bring them to safety. They didn't even know that they were being filmed by some news reporter.

.

Hours later, Veronica and Oliver were finally able to go home, shower and rest with their friends and family while news of the night events took over the TV. John had left them to go check on his sister in law and on his nephew.

"Apparently, the Arrow and Karma were there and helped the cops stop Malcolm." Thea told her brother.

"They also helped me save a bus full of people before it went off. they're so cool!" Roy added.

"We went through the destroyed part of the Glades, they were there too." Veronica added while the TV showed images of Arrow and Karma helping the firefighters rescue people from crumbled down buildings.

"Damn they look good together." Thea commented when she saw both Arrow and Karma in action.

"Is my father really in jail?" Tommy asked Oliver in a whispered voice.

"Yes, he is. They're warned that he has special skills and kill keep him tied up." Oliver whispered back.

They all spent the rest of the night watching the news and relaxing together before going to bed and prepare for what was to come during the next few days. The aftermath of the undertaking was going to change all of their lives, they knew it.

* * *

 **So, what did you think? I know I rushed things but I didn't really fancy going through a play by play of the Undertaking. Mix what I've written with the episode ;-)**

 **I just wrote the storyline for part 16 to 19. Want title spoilers? Coming next is Responsibility, competition, paternity 2, competition 2, Nanda Parbat, Hot in Russia, 3 angry Veronicas (this one will anger some of you), Mira Kuru. I hope these title spoilers for the next few chapters will make you want to read and share this story. An idea? A suggestion? I'm here, I'll read.**

 **A little review please?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	12. Responsibility

**_Part 12_**

 ** _Responsibility_**

* * *

A week after the Undertaking, everything was starting to get slowly back to normal.

Thanks to Moira's warning (and Karma and Arrow's actions), the number of dead was under 25, though there had been over 200 injured, both in the earthquake and during the evacuation. Still, the numbers were much lower than they could have been and they all knew that.

Oliver and Tommy each headed to their family company to keep everything under control. Veronica had convinced them, during the night, that they needed to take their responsibility and run their respective family companies in order to save thousands of jobs and their own fortunes. They couldn't let people they couldn't trust buy it over or subtly take control. They had to do their best to run it and to clean up their now tarnished family name. Thea had volunteered to manage the club until another solution popped up and they had no choice but to agree, especially since she seemed particularly enthusiastic about it and had good ideas.

Veronica decided not to open her PI office again. She was officially helping Thea with the club and the rest of the time, she was in the Foundry, under Verdant, doing researches or trying to solve some mysteries and making money with the test that she and Mac created. If someone really needed her help, they knew how to join her because she still kept her blog up to date. People kind of guessed that The Healer had a way to contact the Vigilantes. She still took the usual cases for her regular clients but she didn't seek more clients. She had plenty to do with _The Healer_ , her blog, and her nightly activity as Karma.

To keep in touch with Oliver while he was at work, Veronica had set a permanent webcam connection between them, this way he wouldn't have to leave the office to discuss their vigilante work with her. It would be more effective and it reassured him to know that she was so close to him in case he needed to ask her a question or an advise, or simply to be cheered up.

"So, how's your new assistant?" Veronica asked Oliver with a smile as she tested the new connection.

"I don't like her. I wish you could have taken the job." He replied.

"Me, serving you coffee? No thanks. My inner bitch makes me not fit to be anyone's assistant and I think that would have marked the end of our relationship, and possibly of your life." She replied with humor.

Veronica had spend a long time looking through potential candidates until she found the one that would be best for Oliver.

She had discovered shortly after the undertaking, while checking out Queen Consolidated data for Oliver, that one of his father's ex lover, Isabel Rochev, was trying to take control of Queen Consolidated. Veronica had stopped her from buying any stock that had been put up for sell by buying them on her own, with money she had put aside over the last few months.

During her last stay in Neptune, Veronica and Mac had worked on refreshing the old " _Purity test_ " and, in order to make some fast and easy money, had send it out to every private school (as well as public school in rich parts of the country). As a difference, they also sent a message to the parents, two days after the test was taken by their child, and offered for them to get the detailed answers of their offspring for 50 dollars. Cash had flood in quickly and the two young women shared it equally. While Mac had made a donation to a couple of charities, Veronica knew she needed to keep it all. Now, slowly, she was owning more and more stock from her boyfriend's company, as well as a couple of companies that Isabel Rochev had tried to take control of as well and that Veronica had invested in just to spite her.

Oliver knew it of course, Veronica didn't hide anything from him. They were true partners and she knew that if there was ever a moment where he wasn't able to be the CEO, he'd ask her to replace him, and she'd have to be ready. Another reason why the permanent connection was so useful. She knew that he wanted her to be his partner even at Queen Consolidated, to be his second in command or something. She actually wouldn't mind. She was getting her fill of adrenaline and justice during her night job with him, she didn't mind sitting behind a desk during the day. Her father would definitely like that as well.

"I know... Right now I'm thinking that I need a second in command, you know someone I could trust completely..." he hinted at her.

"We talked about this, I'm not ready for this yet, maybe later... Right now your board needs to be reassured that the company is in good hands, not to be handed someone who has no experience and no right to be there and that's exactly how they'll see me at the moment." Veronica replied with a chuckle.

"You're right. Anyway, I wish I didn't have to go to all these meetings... I know I'll always have a few a week but this week alone I have at least 5 meetings a day. First with the board, then with every head of department to review everything... Taking over and cleaning up the company is going to take some time and lots of coffee. I think I'd rather go back on the Island and being tortured." he tried to joke.

"I know, it'd be a different kind of torture, right? You could always do some of the later meetings via webcam but you're right, at the moment you need to attend all of these meetings yourself, you can't delegate if you want them to know and believe that you actually care. But don't worry, later you'll be able to do some of them via webcams." Veronica suggested.

"Good idea. Anyway, Mac sent me an email, she accepts the job I offered her. She resigned from Kane Software this morning and told me she'll be able to be in town in a few weeks. I told her we'd find her an apartment. With the money she still has left from your test thingy, she can get something nice in the upper part of town. She sent me back a list with her requirements for the apartment. I'll get my assistant to start looking later today, once she's done with all the letters I asked her to write for me." Oliver warned his girlfriend.

"I know, she called me while she sent it to you. Maybe you can ask her to be your assistant but I doubt she'd accept it." Veronica chuckled.

"I know, she's overqualified too. Well, it doesn't matter, you did your background search on this assistant so I guess she can be trusted." He sighted.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine. I know you're nervous about being Oliver Queen, CEO, but I'm only a webcam away. And yes, your new assistant can be trusted. She has had no contact with Isabel Rochev or any of the companies she works with, nor with the people Miss Rochev hangs out with." She smiled reassuringly.

"And how many candidates did you have to eliminate because of that argument?" He asked her, curiously.

"About 15. One had the same hairdresser as her driver but I didn't want to take any risks. She really did try to get someone inside though and seems angrier with every stock that I buy before her but what can I say? I'm just that good. Anyway, I'll be sending you some names later, employees of yours, that I suspect of having been contacted by her. You'll have to interrogate them and decide if you keep them anyway or fire them. I'll send you the ones she just spoke to along with a couple of names that she sent money to via intermediaries." Veronica replied with a proud and satisfied smile.

"Okay, thanks. I'll ask to see them all immediately and make my decisions after our discussion, I'll call you when I do so you can assist and ask your own questions."

"I'll even come in person if you want." Veronica smiled.

"Thanks, I really appreciate this. So, is Thea doing alright up there?" He asked her.

"So far so good. She seems to know what she's doing and has good ideas. I think it's her calling."

"What every big brother wants his little sister to do with her life, manage a club." Oliver sighted.

"At least she's safe and happy. Roy seems to like his new job as well." Veronica argued.

"True. Anyway, I guess I should do some actual work. I need to meet with people from applied sciences all morning long. I'll see you for lunch?" he asked her.

"Of course, I'll be by with some take out from Big Belly Burger." She smiled.

"Can't wait. I love you." he smiled back before buzzing his assistant to let his first appointment of the morning in.

.

Moira's lawyer had reassured her a few hours after she was arrested. Since Malcolm had been brought in, along with the evidence Moira and the Vigilantes provided, she'd be released pretty quickly. Malcolm would be taking all the heat on this, he'd be paying for all the lost lives and the damages caused to the town.

Malcolm wasn't helping his case, he refused to speak to anyone, even to his court appointed lawyer. Tommy had cut off all of his funds (even the hidden ones thanks to Veronica) by taking over the family company and he had refused to pay for their usual family lawyer to defend his father. Malcolm was now defended by a court appointed lawyer who came from the very part of town that had been destroyed and everyone knew he'd go away for a long time, unless he managed to break out, which wouldn't surprise anyone, even though he was kept in a high security facility, constantly being watched.

As soon as she was released from custody, Moira agreed to answer journalists questions and did so as honestly as she could.

"Misses Queen, what motivated you to warn people of Malcolm Merlyn's plans?" A blond woman asked her.

"My son did. He knew that something was going on and convinced me to tell him and not to be afraid anymore. He was going to rush out to try and warn people and he convinced me to overcome my fear of Malcolm and tell everyone the truth." Moira replied.

"Did Mister Merlyn scare you?" Another journalist asked her.

"Yes, he really did. He threatened my children's life, I... I believed that he had already killed my husband and my son. Even after Oliver came back, Malcolm quickly kidnapped Walter. I was scared, not for me, but for my family." Moira replied, trying to hide her emotions the best way she could.

"Why did you start working with him in the first place?"

"My husband did, before he went missing, and didn't tell me about it. Malcolm managed to convince their group of friends with pretty words and stupid ideals that they could redo the Glaves into a much better place for everyone in it but what he really wanted was to punish everyone for his wife's murder and the fact that she spent her life helping them and they didn't even try to help her, that they let her bleed to death. Robert eventually saw behind Malcolm's crazy mind but it was too late, he was too involved and couldn't get out of this. I believe that Malcolm sabotaged the Gambit to punish my husband for trying to stop him. He's... Malcolm Merlyn is far more dangerous than people think or expect." Moira confessed.

"What do you mean by that?"

"He's the black Archer, the copy-cat arrow that's been killing people." She revealed.

"Are you going back to Queen Consolidated now?"

"No, I believe that it's my son's turn now. I will provide him with guidance and advice if he needs them but nothing more. I've failed this city and my company, I need to take my responsibilities and try to fix things." Moira replied.

"How do you plan on doing that?"

"I'm not sure, I guess I'll see." Moira replied before she ended the questions and asked Diggle, whom Oliver had asked to make sure his mother got home safely, to drive her away.

.

To make things easier for him and the rest of his team, Oliver had settled their new headquarters under Queen Consolidated, with an hidden entrance outside and an hidden elevator in his office. The base under Verdant hadn't been dismantled though, they kept it in case of emergencies, as a secondary base, but they would work from under his day office from now on.

Veronica and Oliver would eat at least two meals a day together but most of the time, they did all three. They had breakfast with Moira and Thea at the family house, where they would all discuss their daily schedule and the news. Most of the time, they had lunch out or in the office, sometimes with Diggle. As for dinner, it varied from day to day. Sometimes they just grabbed something on their way to Vigilante-ing, sometimes they ate with Laurel and Tommy, sometimes they had a date night together and other time they ate with Thea and Moira.

When Oliver had a business Lunch, or even dinner, Veronica also joined them. Oliver wanted everyone to know that she was involved in the family business and that she would take an important position in the company some day. Already he had managed to convince Veronica to attend the board meetings with him, which she was entitled to considering the number of stock she now had in the company. All in all Veronica was getting acclimated quickly and she had attended all of the meetings Oliver had had with the people she was suspicious of. They had given second chances to a few of them but most of them had been fired and replaced by trust-worthy people.

"Hey Veronica, do you have a moment to talk or you're meeting with Oliver again?" Thea asked her big sister figure (and hopefully one day her sister in law).

"I have some time. Oliver and Tommy are meeting and I'm meeting with Laurel in two hours to help her with one of her cases. I have time. Is something wrong?" Veronica asked her.

"Why do you automatically assume that something is wrong?" Thea asked her with an amused smile.

"Force of habit. So, what do you want to talk about?" Veronica asked her with a smile, joining her on a bar stool.

"I... You know that you can trust me, right?"

"Of course I do, Thea. I trust you, just like you can trust me with anything." Veronica told her, concerned.

"Then why didn't you tell me that you were Karma?"

"Say what?" Veronica asked her.

"I figured it out after the undertaking. Roy was telling me how Arrow and Karma helped him save the people in that bus and I kept thinking of the few images we saw of Arrow and Karma helping people after everything. I think I only figured it out because I know you so well."

"I didn't tell you, not because I didn't trust you, Thea, but because I didn't want you involved, in danger." Veronica replied, seeing no point in denying it.

"Does Oliver know that you're Karma?" Thea asked her.

"Yes, he does."

"Is he Arrow?" Thea asked, looking like she already knew the answer.

"That's a question you'll have to ask him, you know that even if he is Arrow, I can't tell you. You have to ask him yourself."

"I think that pretty much means that he is." Thea smiled.

"You know that you can't tell anyone, right?"

"Of course, I understand how a secret identity works, Veronica. Who else knows?"

"John Diggle, Oliver's bodyguard, my friend Mac, my father and Tommy." Veronica replied, knowing that Thea would keep the secret.

Veronica then took Thea with her downstairs and showed her their old headquarters, before she made her promise not to go down on her own. Then she promised Thea that they would talk about it that evening with Oliver. She answered a few questions before she had to go and join Laurel. On her way, Veronica called Oliver and let him know of her conversation with Thea.

"We knew it would come eventually. I'm glad she took it well." He replied.

"She understood the secrecy and why we'd hide it from her. She'll wait for us tonight so we can talk about it but I think you're the one she really wants to talk with." Veronica explained.

"Well, I guess we'll talk tonight then. Are you on your way to Laurel's already?" he asked her.

"Yes, I bet we'll be done before you and Tommy are." She told him with a smile.

"Probably. What will you do once you're done?" He asked her, curiously.

"We'll probably go shopping or something normal girls do." Veronica chuckled.

"You should, you don't take enough time for you."

"I don't feel the need for it. I'm perfectly happy with the way things are, with the life I lead, with you." She confessed.

"So am I. I have to hang up now, Tommy is waiting for me. See you tonight?"

"Don't forget to bring pizzas." She reminded him before she hung up.

.

Later that night, Thea, Veronica and Oliver met in front of pizzas in the new vigilante headquarters and Oliver explained everything to his sister the best way he could while not revealing too much about what he had gone through on the island. He made sure that she knew that he was trying to protect her by not telling her about it and she understood, she wasn't even angry.

She promised to keep the secret and to help keep their cover anytime they might need it.

* * *

 **Did you like it? What do you think is next for the team? Don't hesitate to share this story with your friends, the more reviws I get, the more motivated I am to continue it and make it longer.**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	13. Competition

**_Part 13_**

 ** _Competition_**

* * *

Ever since the Undertaking and the fact that Arrow and Karma had been seen together on TV, working to help save people, the two Vigilantes had been the main subject in the gossip news. Everybody loved to talk about them, who they had stopped of course but also if they were really together. some even speculated about who their next stop would be. They had given the police department a phone they could use to reach them in case they needed help and Detective Lance had been chosen to be their liaison.

"Hey, Oliver, Veronica, look. They're having this week's People debate show is about Arrow and Karma." Thea told them during breakfast, calling them to watch TV.

"What is there to debate about?" Veronica asked as they followed Thea.

"Are they still trying to decide if they're friends of the city or enemies?" Oliver asked her.

Moira wasn't home that morning, she was meeting with Walter to try and patch things up, so it was just the three of them and John Diggle.

"I think everyone agree that they are not only friendly but also assets to the city. They started out with the question ' _Are they really dating?_ ' and are about to move on to ' _Who is better?_ '." Thea replied.

"Who is better? Well sounds interesting to me." Veronica smiled.

"Seriously? Can't they have debates about more serious matters like the upcoming mayoral elections, pollution or the environment?" Oliver rolled his eyes.

"You're just afraid of losing to her." Thea teased her brother.

"Or he knows he can't win against a cute blond." John added, making Thea chuckle while Oliver ignored them and listened to the TV.

"You can't possibly ask us to decide who is the hottest or the sexiest! One is a man, a very sexy man that makes me reconsider being straight, and the other one is a sexy as hell woman. They're not the same gender, we can't debate on their hotness." One of the people on TV exclaimed.

"Of course we can, their gender is pointless." Another one replied.

"You only say that because you're bisexual." The first person replied with an amused smirk.

"Well, I for one think that Karma is by far the hottest one, because she's a woman and fighting against male criminals without backing out, ever." A third person declared.

"I disagree, who she fights against has nothing to do with this. It's not an argument you can use. Arrow is by far the sexiest, he has more muscles and it is known that muscles make a person sexy." The first person shook his head.

"But Karma shows a great cleavage, and that makes a woman sexy as hell, especially when you have her legs." A fourth person argued.

"That's ridiculous." Veronica shook her head while the debate went on on TV.

"Well, you do have great legs." Thea commented while Oliver nodded his agreement.

The debate went on for a few more minutes before they decided that it was a tie and before they moved on.

"So, really, on to the main question of this debate now. Who do we think is the best Vigilante between them? Also, who would win if they decided to fight?" One of them asked.

"Oh come on, really!" Veronica rolled her eyes before she moved closer to Oliver and entered his arms.

"Well, you'd win Honey, because I'd let you win." Oliver whispered in Veronica's ear.

"We all agree that they make an exceptional team and that Karma's presence has improved the Arrow. I think that makes her the best out of the two of them." Another person declared on TV.

"They should ask the one who has to work with them every night." Thea said before they all turned to Diggle who raised his hands up and replied with a smile:

"I plead the fifth, I don't want to be shot with an arrow or tasered if I answer this."

They watched the debate until it was over, declaring that once again, there was no winner.

"I don't know why they call it a debate since they never make a decision, they just talk. I don't know how you can watch it every week Thea." Oliver declared, standing up to head to his office with Veronica who agreed to attend a few meetings for him while he met with the head of a department to talk about a potential new project.

"Well, Roy hates this show as well but he's probably watching it anyway, just because it's about his favorite Vigilante. He's obsessed with the Arrow now." Thea replied.

"It'll pass. Every boy needs a hero once in a while." Veronica reassured Thea before she followed Oliver out of the door and to the car while the Tv announced that the following week's debate would be about Tommy Merlyn and Oliver Queen, making Thea smile.

.

From the shadows that the night provided, Sarah Lance, as the Black Canary, watched over her sister who was bent over a computer next to a blond she had seen with Oliver earlier.

Veronica Mars.

She knew that she shouldn't have come, she should have gone back to the League as soon as she saw that they were all fine but she couldn't. She felt the need to stay longer, to find out more about her sister's life. She also wanted to know more about her father. Why was he going to so many AA meetings? Did he have a problem? She needed answers and she knew that the best way to get them would be to show herself to Oliver, the Arrow.

How would he take her being here, alive?

She straightened when Veronica stood and left Laurel's place. Sara watched as Veronica left the building and was surprised to see her climb behind the Arrow on a black and green motorcycle. Running and jumping from one building to the other, Sara saw them stop, Veronica went into Verdant through the back door and came back out a few minutes later, dressed as Karma. This explained a lot and made Sara smile. Oliver wasn't alone and she was glad.

Following from a distance, she saw the two of them arrive in the middle of what looked like a fight between them and the Chinese triad, over a FEMA truck. Cyn had told her about medicine missing from the hospital because the deliveries never made it there. She couldn't help but agree that Arrow and Karma definitely made a good team but Sara could see that they were outnumbered. Especially now that a big black man with metal claws on his hands joined the Triad.

"Typical." She rolled her eyes before jumping in, deciding that now was the right time to let Oliver know that she was back in town.

Using every skill she had learned with the League, Sara jumped by Karma and Arrow's side and started backing them up while their black friend drove the truck away, probably where it was supposed to go.

"Thanks for the assist. Who are you?" Karma asked her as she kept on fighting, using her whip with ease and turning Sara on a bit.

"A ghost from the past. You can call me Black Canary." Sara replied.

"A ghost from whose past?" Arrow asked her while he managed to tie up the blond leader of the chinese triad.

"Yours." Black Canary replied before they were separated by the fight.

Sara couldn't help but notice that no matter who they fought and where they were, Oliver and Veronica always seemed to know where the other was and if he, or she, needed help. They were a true partnership and she could guess that they were more than just friends. They were in love, true love, the kind of love everyone dreamed of their entire lives.

Soon enough, the fight was over and everyone was tied up, waiting for the cops to arrive and bring them in. The man with the metal claws looked especially angry to have been caught.

"Lance is just around the corner with his team, we need to go." Karma announced and, with a gesture, invited Black Canary to follow them.

Deciding that now was too late to back up, Sara followed them until they were safely away. They stopped when they were on top of a building.

"Thanks for the help, I don't think we would have been able to stop them all tonight without your help." Karma told Black Canary.

"You're welcome. I was looking for someone to hit anyway." She smiled.

"Who are you?" Arrow asked her and Sara noticed that he stepped closer to Karma, ready to defend her if necessary.

"Don't you recognize me Ollie?" Sara asked him, taking off her wig and mask.

"Sara? How are you still alive?" He asked, taking a step back.

"Laurel's sister? The Sara you took with you on the Gambit? I thought she died on the island." Veronica told Oliver, taking her mask off with he let his hood down.

"I survived." Sara replied.

"Maybe we should take this someplace else, more private." Veronica suggested nervously and they all agreed.

Oliver told Sara to find them at Verdant, which, of course, she had located since she came back in town. He wasn't willing to let her in his new base yet so he'd show her the old ones, which was still operational and still had all the necessary equipment. On the ride there, he could feel that Veronica wasn't her normal self. She was nervous, maybe even scared of losing him to Sara or jealous of their past relationship. He'd have to make sure she knew that she had nothing to fear. he loved her, Sara was part of his messed up past, nothing more. She had said earlier that she was a ghost from his past and she was right. She was just a ghost.

"She's pretty." Veronica commented once they got off the bike and waited for Sara to arrive, knowing that Oliver was about to bring the subject.

"You have nothing to worry about my Love, I love you and nothing is going to change that. Sara is just part of my past, she's an old friend, nothing more. You have nothing to fear. She said earlier that she was a ghost from my past and she's right. That's all she is, a friendly ghost. Even if we let her in our lives, she'll never be more than a friend because I love you and have no room in my heart to love anyone else, it'll all yours." He told her, taking her face between his hands and kissing her softly.

"I needed that." Veronica smiled once he was done kissing her.

"I know." He smiled back at her.

"Don't you worry your pretty little blond head Karma, Ollie's actually not my type anymore. If I was to sleep with someone in this alley, it'd be you." Sara declared with a flirtatious smirk, announcing that she had heard everything.

"You're..." Veronica started to say but stopped, looking for the best way to formulate it.

"Gay? Yes. And I'm kind of taken, she's the jealous type." Sara replied, happy with the surprised expression she had placed on Oliver's face.

"Who else knows that you're in town?" Oliver asked Sara once they were settled inside.

"A young friend I've been watching over. I don't want my father or Laurel to know yet. I'm not ready to face them or anyone else who knew me." Sara replied gravely.

"We understand." Veronica nodded.

After that, Sara told them how she became the Black Canary, how she had been saved by Nyssa Al Ghul and everything she had learned. The League had given her a new life, a new will to live and a new mission. She also told them how she had rushed back to Starling City after hearing of the Earthquake to check on her father and sister.

"I was able to come because I am also here to see if anyone would pose a resistance to our disposing of Malcolm Merlyn." Sara finished.

"What do you mean by _disposing_?" Oliver asked her.

"Malcolm was a member of the League, he was Raz Al Ghul's right hand before the demon allowed him to leave to go back home to his son. They called him the Magician. They allowed him to leave the League but he still needs to follow our rules and what he did with the Undertaking, it broke the rules and went against all of the League's principles. Raz wants him dead and soon he'll send his people here to do it. They'll kill anyone who poses a resistance." Sara explained.

"I doubts many people will stop them where Malcolm is kept. Most of the people that interact with him live in the Glades or lost something or someone because of him. They keep him in an extra secured cell though, designed especially for him. League members should have no trouble making their way there, they won't have to kill the guards, I'm sure bribe would be enough. I doubt anyone would risk their lives to save his after everything he's done." Veronica reassured Sara.

"What about his son, what about Tommy?" Sara asked.

"He's just as angry as everyone else. He's cut all ties to Malcolm." Veronica replied.

"How long are you staying in town?" Oliver asked.

"I should have been back over a week ago. Nyssa will probably come and get me soon, afraid that I decided to desert the League." Sara replied with a smile.

"Shouldn't you go and meet her then?" Veronica asked her.

"No, let her come. I feel my presence is needed here. I don't know why but I know it is. I'll stay here until she comes. She'll understand." Sara shook her head.

"Do you need a place to stay?" Oliver asked her.

"No, I have everything I need." She shook her head.

Thinking that she liked having another girl around, Veronica went to get one of their disposable cellphones and gave it to Sara.

"Here, we'll call you on it next time we go out, in case you want to join. Our numbers are pre-programmed in it as well, if you want to call us."

"Thanks, I think I'd like that." Sara said before she went to hug Veronica and whispered in her ear:

"If you're ever tired of men, call me." After whispering these words in Veronica's ear, Sara squeezed her ass and left, laughing while Veronica rolled her eyes and Oliver frowned, jealousy taking him over.

"Did she just flirt with you?" Oliver asked Veronica.

"Don't worry, you're the only one that I want." She smiled at him before kissing him to show him exactly how much she loved him.

One thing leading to another, they ended up having sex right there, under Verdant, before they dressed back in normal clothes and joined Thea and Roy upstairs where they were surprised to find Tommy and Laurel as well.

Later, while Veronica laughed over a joke Tommy had made, Thea asked Oliver aside and, once they were away from everyone she told him:

"I think you need to know... Roy... Ever since you helped him save that bus full of people, he's obsessed with you. I mean, with Arrow. He wants to find you, to help you somehow. He already got arrested twice because he was at the wrong place, at the wrong time, trying to find you. I figured maybe if you went to talk to him as the Arrow, you could get him to back off, or give him something safe to do to help you or something..."

"I had no idea Thea... I'll go and talk to him tomorrow, I promise."

"Thanks brother. Now let's go back to your lovely girlfriend who I hope will officially be my sister some day soon." Thea replied with a meaningful smile while Oliver smiled back at her, not letting anything show.

.

Moira had figured out a while back that her son was the Arrow and that Veronica was Karma. Of course she was proud of them, though a bit worried every night. She had a hard time falling asleep before they came back and worried they'd get hurt.

"Where's Thea?" Oliver asked when Veronica and he came down for breakfast that morning.

"She spent the night at a friend's house. I want to use this opportunity to speak with the two of you." Moira announced.

"What's going on?" Veronica asked her with concern.

"Don't worry Veronica, it's nothing bad, at least I don't think it is. It's about something I know and I believe that you two deserve to know that I know." Moira started to say, looking for the best way to formulate things.

"Now I'm worried. What do you know mom?" Oliver asked her while placing his arm around Veronica's waist.

"I know that you're the Arrow, Oliver. And I know that you, Veronica, are Karma. I'm guessing that the third nameless hooded man that sometimes go with you is John Diggle." Moira declared.

"How?" Oliver asked, too shocked to even try to deny it.

"Putting two and two together as time passed. Don't worry, I won't say anything."

"How long have you known?" Veronica asked her.

"Ever since the night of the undertaking, the way you questioned me before leaving the house... I just knew, it's like everything was put into light. I... I just wanted to say that I'm very proud of you. Both of you. Worried of course, I don't think I've had a full night of sleep since I figured it out but I'm extremely proud of you." Moira assured them.

"Well, looks like everyone knows now." Oliver sighted.

"Except for Laurel." Veronica pointed out.

"Thea knows?" Moira asked.

"Yes, she figured out that I was Karma and we decided to tell her everything." Veronica replied.

"Mom, you know that you're going to have to keep the secret though, right?" Oliver told his mother.

"Of course, don't worry about that but I do wonder... Would you ever tell me what really happened on that island to change you that much?"

"I think I can, but not this morning. It's a very long story and Veronica and I have a meeting at Queen Consolidated to attend in an hour" Oliver replied, knowing that his mother needed to know at least some of what happened on the island.

"Thank you. On to another subject, I want your opinion on something." She told the two of them.

"Ours or Karma and Arrow's?" Veronica asked her back with a smile.

"Both." Moira smiled kindly before she added:

"Elections are coming up and everyone knows that Sebastian Blood is going to be running. Walter told me that some people would like me to run. I'm considering it but would like for this to be a decision for this entire family." Moira announced, clearly including Veronica in her family, which warmed the blond's heart.

"I think that it's a good idea. It will help you make up for the past mistakes and you'll be able to help save this city. I think that you have a good chance and if you do decide to run, I'll help you anyway I can." Veronica replied.

"So will I. I think it's a great idea, mom." Oliver nodded.

"Thank you, both of you. I'll announce it to Thea later today and why don't we all meet for lunch tomorrow?"

"Sure, we'd love to." Oliver replied with a smile.

"Now you should leave if you don't want to be late for your meeting." Moira smiled before hugging them both goodbye.

.

The next day, Veronica and Oliver met Moira and Thea at Big belly burger for a fun family lunch. It was something they had never done yet they all loved it. Some people were surprised to see the Queen family there but they had the decency to ignore them or at least not to stare openly. Walter was supposed to join them but he had had a last minute meeting and couldn't make it.

"Before we leave, Veronica, there's something I want to say. I realize that I've never really thanked you for everything you've done for my family. No, don't cut me off now. I'm not done. You saved Thea's life, became a big sister to her, a friend to me and, later, you made us all happy by becoming Oliver's girlfriend. I want you to know that you are a member of this family, I consider you a daughter and I couldn't be any happier that you're here with us. You're a member of our family and nothing could make me any happier." Moira declared.

"You're just trying to make me blush." Veronica replied, her voice thick with emotions while Oliver held her hand tightly and Thea smiled brightly.

"I know that your mother disappointed you, she wasn't there for you like she should have been and she forced you to grow a backbone. I saw you slowly drop this barrier you have around yourself to let my family and I in. You gave me great advice and I want you to know that if there ever comes a time where you need a mother, I'm here." Moira finished.

"I... Thanks you. For what it's worth Moira, I'm very happy to be here with you, considered a member of your family." Veronica blushed, trying to hide the tears she had in her eyes.

"Now you're making her cry." Thea pointed out.

"I'm just very touched, that's all." Veronica smiled.

As they kept on talking, none of them noticed the woman who was sitting behind them, with a hat on her head. Leanne had followed them and listened to their entire conversation. Of course she was jealous, Moira Queen had taken in her daughter's life the place that was supposed to be hers and she couldn't help but be angry, even though she had never really wanted that place in her life. Furious, she left the fast food and went to the first liquor store she could find. She needed a drink to forget, or maybe to find the courage to confront her daughter, or to put Moira Queen back in her place. All she knew was that once more, she was going to find comfort in alcohol.

* * *

 _ **What did you guys think of this one? What will Leanne end up doing?**_

 _ **Next chapter is Paternity 2, then Competition 2.**_

 _ **Review, please.**_

 _ **Lorelei Candice Black**_


	14. Paternity 2

**_Part 14_**

 ** _Paternity 2_**

* * *

Nyssa had traveled a long way to get her Beloved and bring her back home. She understood's Sara's need to check on her family after what Malcolm Merlyn had done to her hometown but she had been away from Nanda Parbat for too long and that could mean only one thing in her mind: she was leaving them, running away. She was leaving her.

She quickly located Sara, dressed as Black Canary. She was in the middle of a street fight with two other masked Vigilantes that Nyssa had seen in the press: Arrow and Karma. Rolling her eyes, she waited until the fight was over and the criminals, some drug dealing gang, were tied up and the cops warned. Then she watched as they rode away. Karma and Arrow shared a green and black bike while Sara drove hers. Nyssa followed them from a distance and watched them approach what was probably their secret lair. She decided that now would be the best time to let her presence be known.

"You've been gone for too long, my beloved. The League needs you." Nyssa called out, letting them see her.

"Nyssa!" Sara exclaimed, not as surprised as Nyssa thought she would be.

She almost sounded like she was expecting her, like she was happy to see her and that set Nyssa back a little. She had expected Sara to try and run away, not to run in her arms.

"This is your girlfriend?" Karma asked and Sara nodded, confirming to Nyssa that she had told them about her.

"Why haven't you come back?" Nyssa asked her.

"I felt my presence was needed here. I don't know why but I felt like I had to stay. I figured you'd come after me anyway so I should do like your father taught me and listen to my instinct." Sara replied.

"Maybe we should take this inside." Oliver suggested, showing Nyssa and Sara inside his lair under Queen Consolidated.

John was usually with them or staying behind to point them in the right direction but tonight was his night off, he had to go to his nephew's school play.

Nyssa took Sara's offered hand and followed the little group inside, doing her best not to show how impressed she really was by what she was seeing. As soon as they were inside, Oliver and Veronica took off their masks, showing Nyssa that they trusted her with their identity.

As soon as Veronica's mask was off, Nyssa couldn't take her eyes off of her. She felt like she was seeing a ghost wearing a painting's face.

"Are you okay Nyssa? What's wrong?" Sara asked her when she noticed her behavior.

"Do I have something on my face?" Veronica asked, growing a bit worried as she looked at Oliver for an answer who, in response, shook his head in negation.

"Who are you?" Nyssa asked, well, more like demanded to know.

"Veronica Mars, or Karma, depends how you look at it." Veronica replied.

"I have to leave. Sara, come with me. We need to talk." Nyssa ordered, looking haunted.

Sara nodded, bid her goodbye to Oliver and Veronica and promised to call before she left or made any kind of decision. As soon as they were far enough away from the lair, Sara made Nyssa stop.

"Nyssa, what's wrong?" Sara asked her, having never seen this haunted look on her girlfriend's face.

"She looks like a blond version of my father's mother. I... I need to know more about her, I need answers." Nyssa replied.

"I'll tell you everything I know. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation. Maybe we should talk to her about it? If there's an answer to find, she'll find it." Sara replied.

"Maybe later. Tell me everything you know about her." The heir to the demon demanded and Sara, sensing the urgency of the situation, obliged.

.

Oliver was nervous. He wasn't used to feeling this way but he couldn't help but be nervous as he shopped for a ring with Tommy by his side while Laurel and Thea kept Veronica busy. The girls didn't know what he was planning, they just knew that Tommy and him were working on a surprise and that they couldn't let Veronica find out yet.

"She'll know I'm hiding something. Hiding something from Veronica is impossible." Oliver assured Tommy.

"You just need to find something to tell her, like you're preparing a surprise for her. It's not a lie and it doesn't reveal the truth either." Tommy suggested.

"Good idea. Anyway, let's find that perfect jewel." Oliver nodded.

"You have any idea of the kind of ring you want?"

"Not really. I'd like for it to have some green gems on it, something classy and impressive yet discrete. I'll definitely engrave something on the inside. It also need to be practical so that she doesn't have to take it off every time she puts her suit on." Oliver replied.

"Gold or silver?"

"Gold I think. It looks better on her."

"Let's start looking then." Tommy nodded as they entered the shop.

"Maybe I should get her two rings. You know, one for Veronica and one for Karma..." Oliver suggested in a low voice.

"Try finding one to start. I think it'll be hard enough as it is. " Tommy chuckled.

"If I get two rings, I'll need to make two proposals, we'll need to prepare two weddings. One for Veronica and Oliver and one for Karma and Arrow." Oliver added, deep in thoughts.

"That's assuming she'll say yes."

"I trust that she'll say yes. I know her and us. I know that she's not a fan of marriage because of the way her parents broke up and because of her PI work and everything she saw. I also know that she has faith in us. I think she'll say yes." Oliver replied.

"Enough to make your proposal a public one?" Tommy asked Oliver.

"Enough to make both proposals public ones." Oliver smiled.

"Can't wait to see it." Tommy smiled back as he pointed a few rings out to Oliver.

"Maybe I should have them custom made. Two small band that get together and form one engagement ring along with two wedding band that add to the ring. The stones would have to be small so she can wear it under her gloves." Oliver suggested when he saw that none of the ring in the shop were good enough.

.

Veronica had spend 3 full hours with Laurel and Thea being pampered in a spa and they were leaving to join Oliver and Tommy at some restaurant when Laurel's father called her. At first, she thought he needed her help with a case, that he was stuck and reluctant to ask the Vigilantes for help, but when he told her that he had her mother in custody and that she could come and speak with her now, if she wanted, she didn't need time to think about it.

"I'll text Oliver to meet us there." Thea replied before they rushed to the station, knowing that her brother would want to be there for Veronica.

When they arrived at the station, Oliver and Tommy were already waiting for them next to Detective Lance. They had been closer to the station than the girls and Oliver had rushed there to be able to help his Love through this moment.

"You can't all go in with her, it's an interrogation room, not a coffee shop. I can let her and Oliver go in there, but the rest of you will just have to stay behind, I'm sorry." Quentin lance declared.

"Thank you detective, I appreciate the chance you're giving me to speak with her." Veronica told Laurel's father.

"Good luck. Remember that you're a strong independent woman and that she can't hurt you anymore, not even with her words." Thea whispered in Veronica's ear as she hugged her.

"Are you ready honey?" Oliver asked her.

"I will be." She nodded, trying to hide her feelings while knowing that Oliver could see through her.

Lance lead them to the interrogating room where Leanne was being held.

"She was arrested for public intoxication and when we looked in her cellphone, we realized that she's been following you. She has pictures of you with Oliver, Laurel, Thea, Moira... All taken during the day, it seems that after 5 pm every day, she heads to grab some drinks because the pictures stop." Lance explained.

"Is she sober now?" Veronica asked him.

"I think so, yes. We'll have to let her go soon, unless you want to press charges for her spying on you and following her."

"I'll make a decision once I've talked to her." Veronica nodded before squeezing Oliver's hand and heading inside the room with him by her side.

"Veronica?" Leanne asked.

"Don't sound so surprised, you knew I was around since you've been spying on me. I bet you even knew they'd call me if you got arrested. How long have you been around?" Veronica asked her, doing her best to have a hard voice.

"It doesn't matter, the matter is that you came here, to see me. Because I'm your mother. Is this your new and fancy boyfriend I've heard about? Hotter than Duncan that's for sure. Just looking at his arms..." Leanne smirked.

"Why did you leave all these years ago? Why didn't you contact me, ever?" Veronica asked, cutting her mother off.

"Because you were a disappointment to me Veronica. I wanted you to be a boy, a boy that would have gotten me to where I wanted to go but you ended up being a girl and I didn't have any use for you."

"I don't understand." Veronica shook her head, ignoring the pain she felt at her mother's words.

"Right, you don't know... Well, here is for some surprising news for you, Veronica: Keith Mars isn't your father."

"What?" Oliver exclaimed while Veronica took a step back.

"Jake Kane is my father?" Veronica asked, looking horrified.

"Jake? No. Your father is much more important than some dumb CEO of a computer company. Your father is Head of the Demon." Leanne revealed.

"Raz Al Ghul? How is that even possible? How do **you** know him?" Veronica asked her mother.

"You know of him? I shouldn't be surprised with that habit you have of putting your nose where it doesn't belong. Well, see, I met him one night when your father was working late at the station and after I found out who he was, we had _fun_. I figured that if you turned out to be a boy I could take my place by his side but you were only a girl and he already had two so... I didn't even tell him about you because I knew that he wouldn't care, how could he? You were nothing, you didn't matter. I stayed with Keith and let him think that you were his. It seemed to make him happy enough and since I didn't want you in the first place... Well, you know the rest, I took any excuse not to be around you and left as soon as I could. Very happily so, by the way." Leanne kept on smirking, knowing that she was ruining her daughter's perfect world.

"Let's go. I'm pressing charges for her spying on me and I don't want to see her ever again." Veronica declared as Oliver escorted her out of the room, knowing they'd have to call Sara and Keith to check if what Leanne said was true.

When he heard that she wanted to press charges, Lance nodded and told Oliver that they'd send them the paper work so Veronica didn't have to worry herself with this now. She already looked about to break in tears and it was understandable. Her own mother told her that she didn't matter, that her life had been an accident that she regretted. He shook his head and watched her leave with their friends.

.

While Tommy and Laurel left to go home, Thea went to Verdant to get some work done and make sure they had received the deliveries she wanted while Oliver took Veronica to their lair where Sara and Nyssa were waiting for them. Oliver had called and, without giving them any details, he asked them to come over and they did, sensing the urgency in his voice.

"What's going on? What's wrong with Veronica?" Sara asked Oliver while his girlfriend was calling her father to ask him to send some of his DNA by express shipping so she could test it.

"Your father arrested her mother for public intoxication. Veronica went to confront her about why she left her in the past and Leanne had some surprising revelations to make." Oliver summarized.

"How does it concern us?" Nyssa asked though she felt it could be linked to the fact that Veronica looked like her grandmother, only blond.

"Leanne said that my father was Raz Al Ghul. Could it be possible?" Veronica replied, having just hung up.

"I... Yesterday I left so abruptly because you look a lot like my father's mother, except you've got blond hair and a slightly paler skin. It would explain why. If we look nine months before your birthday, we land in a period were my father was in California hunting one of the League's enemies." Nyssa nodded, looking at Veronica differently.

"I need more than a maybe. My father will send me some of his hair tomorrow, I'll have a friend of mine test it with mine as soon as I get it. I'll get the results in a couple of days." Veronica stated.

"I'm going back to Nanda Parbat tomorrow. I'll talk to my father about it. Bring him a picture of you and one of your mother. I'll give you my blood so you can test it with yours if you want. Sara, I want you to stay in town. Your new mission is to protect my little sister." Nyssa decided before she smiled softly at Veronica and added:

"We'll get your answers. For what it's worth, I'd be honored if you happened to be my little sister."

Before she left, Nyssa hugged Veronica, kissed Sara and shook Oliver's hand.

"She acts like it's only a formality, she seems to believe it." Veronica realized as she sat down.

"She does. I know her pretty well and I know that she's convinced your mother is telling the truth. She'll tell her father and he'll probably invite you to Nanda Parbat, or he'll come here himself to meet you." Sara replied.

"I'll send her blood to test against mine tomorrow when I receive my father's, I mean, Keith's." Veronica nodded.

"Are you okay?" Oliver asked Veronica softly.

"I will be if you find someone for me to hit soon." She smiled.

"Let's go then. John is waiting for us, he's already on the way there with the van." Oliver nodded, understanding her need to process everything.

.

The next couple of days, Veronica did her best to keep a busy mind and they all understood why. She didn't want to have the time to think about her DNA being tested in her friend's lab.

"You know, when you're ready to talk about it, I'm here." Thea told Veronica on the morning of the day she was going to get her DNA results.

"Yes, I guess you know what it's like to to find out that your father wasn't your father." Veronica smiled.

"At least your father isn't an evil murderer." Thea tried to joke.

"He's the leader of the League of assassins. I don't think he got there by asking his enemies to step down nicely. Yours has a few skeletons in his closet, mine has a castle full of closets that are full of skeletons." Veronica shook her head.

"True. I gained a brother when you told me that Malcolm was my real father, looks like you gained two big sisters."

"According to Sara, the elder one isn't around anymore."

"You still gain a sister if it's true, and a League of trained Assassins to back you up."

"True. Keith would tell you that it's barely enough to keep me safe, it'll just motivate me to put my nose where it doesn't belong even more." Veronica smiled, before Thea left to go to the club while she got ready to go to Queen Consolidated with Oliver.

.

Later that day, Detective Lance left a message on the Vigilante's phone to tell them that he needed their help. Apparently, a criminal nicknamed the Dollmaker had escaped his cell at Iron Heights. He was back in town, ready to get revenge on the cop that had arrested him, Quentin Lance, and he had already killed one girl.

"We'll meet with him in an hour." Oliver told Veronica as they got dressed in their vigilante outfits.

"Where?" She asked him.

"We'll start by going to see his therapist, then we'll see, depending on what we find. We might have to break in to see the complete files of his old victims, compare it with the new ones." Oliver replied.

"I hope we'll stop him soon. This guy creeps me out." She nodded.

"Do you think Sara will join us?" He asked her, knowing that she and Sara talked.

"I don't know. She'll want to be there for me because of Nyssa's order but she also wants to stay away from her father. She'll probably watch from a distance." Veronica replied.

"You're probably right." he nodded.

They both ended up in a lab with Detective Lance, going through files, when Veronica found out that all the victims used the same skin cream.

"We might have a problem." Karma whispered to Arrow's ear while Lance left with the promise to hear from them the next day.

"What is it?" Arrow asked her.

"I use this cream." She revealed.

"I knew this looked familiar for some reason. He won't touch you." Oliver promised her.

"Don't worry, I can take care of myself. I know I'll be fine. I could even play bait."

"I don't like this very much." He shook his head.

"I don't think John can play bait on this one. This is a skin cream, not a dose of Vertigo." Karma chuckled.

"Only if Sara agrees to help. She doesn't have to reveal who she is to her father, she has her mask and can disguise her voice. If she helps, you can play bait." Oliver decided and Veronica nodded, seeing the reason behind his decision.

"Good." She nodded, confident that she'd be able to convince Sara to come along and help them.

.

When they got back home, Veronica had a message on her cell phone. It was from the friend who had tested her DNA.

"So? What did he say?" Oliver asked her after she hung up while Thea and Moira looked at her as well, waiting for the answer.

The expression on her face was blank, she was wearing her armor and was trying to look like it hadn't affected her.

"To make a long story short, Keith Mars isn't my biological father and Nyssa is my sister. I guess it means that Leanne didn't lie, I am Raz Al Ghul's daughter." Veronica replied.

"Are you okay?" Oliver asked her as he came to hug her.

"I was prepared but still... I need to tell my... I need to warn Keith." She replied, having a hard time to call him her father, even though she still loved him like he was.

"He knew why you asked his DNA, he'll be prepared as well." Oliver told her.

"This doesn't have to change anything in your relationship, Veronica. He will always be your father, he'll still love you. Considering the mother you have, it's okay to have two fathers." Moira told her to reassure the young woman.

"You're right, but Raz might not even want to be my father." Veronica nodded.

"I guess we'll see soon. I think Nyssa must be close to arriving now. I don't know how she was planning on going there but I know that she can't travel by plane anymore, not on commercial ones anyway." Oliver added before he lead Veronica to their bedroom.

.

The next day, Veronica and Oliver were busy at Queen Consolidated until 5 and then, they headed directly to their underground lair to start planning the night's action against Barton Mathis, aka the Dollmaker who was killing so cruelly young women who had all of their lives ahead of them. The man poured polymer down their throats and suffocated them, making it a slow and painful death.

Veronica felt like she needed this fight and this case to keep the news of her paternity out of her mind.

She had called Keith the previous night and it had been a short call. Her father had been expecting this answer and told her that, deep down, he always knew that she wasn't his biologically. They both agreed that they needed time to get acclimated to this news but they promised each other not to let this change their relationship. Keith had agreed with her that she needed to meet her real father and to give him a chance, no matter who he was, because he refused to know the identity of the man just yet. They hung up with the promise to give each other some time and to call back soon.

"Ready to go, Sara?" Veronica, dressed like she had been all day, asked her.

"I think so. I guess I should have known I'd have to face him eventually." She replied, putting on her mask.

"He doesn't need to know who you are if you're not ready to let him. With the wig, the mask and the voice changer, nobody could recognize you, not even your father. If you want him to know you only as the Black Canary, then that's what he'll know you as." Veronica told her with a smile.

"I know. Thanks." Sara smiled just when Oliver arrived, dressed as Arrow.

"Is John joining us?" Veronica asked her boyfriend.

"Yes, he's already checking the places around the shops you'll buy from tonight." Arrow replied.

"Good then. Well, I'll do this right and go back up and leave through the front door, we never know who's watching. I guess I'll see you later." Veronica told Oliver and Sara with a smile before she kissed her boyfriend and took the elevator back up.

She knew that Oliver was nervous. Barton Mathis seemed skilled in the art of evading capture, it had taken a long time to catch him the first time around and she understood why Oliver could be nervous. She was strong but she wouldn't have any weapons on her or it would raise the man's suspicions. Oliver was afraid they wouldn't be enough to stop him but she had faith. She'd be fine.

.

Lance was connected to Arrow and Black Canary through his ear piece and he wasn't that surprised when he learned that Veronica Mars had volunteered to play bait.

"So, where is Karma tonight? Shouldn't she be here too?" Quentin Lance asked.

"She's concentrating on another problem that requires her special set of skills, which is why Black Canary is here to replace her." Arrow replied.

"You like surrounding yourself with strong women, don't you?" Lance smirked as they watched Veronica walking out of the last shop.

"Watch out, it could be anytime now. This alley is the perfect place for a trap." Black Canary warned them.

They were all spread around the place, watching and ready to jump in.

Everything happened very fast. They didn't see the Dollmaker's face but they saw a pair of arm coming out of the shadows and grabbing Veronica from behind, putting a cloth on her face and knocking her out.

"Let her go!" Arrow screamed, jumping down, followed by Black Canary as Detective Lance and a hooded John Diggle ran there with their guns ready to fire.

"Ah, I see you thought you'd be able to trap me. You should have known better." Barton Mathis smirked.

"Why do you do this Mathis? These women don't deserve it!" Lance said, trying to distract the man so Arrow and his partners could work their magic.

"It's for the world to enjoy, after all, who doesn't love a pretty doll? I believe this one will be especially pretty once I'm done with her. Maybe my greatest work yet." Mathis replied before he dropped a small smoke grenade on the floor.

It was enough to distract them for a few seconds, which gave him the time to disappear with Veronica.

"Dammit!" Arrow and Lance spat at the same time.

"We have to find her, we can't let her die this way!" Lance exclaimed.

"Don't worry, we were prepared for that. She has a tracker in her shoes." Black Canary replied just as Arrow's phone rang.

Oliver stepped away and answered it, seeing that Tommy was the one calling.

"Now's not really a good time Tommy." Oliver whispered.

"I know but it's Laurel, she's been taken." Tommy replied.

"What do you mean she was taken?" Oliver asked him back.

"I came home from work and found a few things knocked over a a note addressed to Detective Lance saying that it was revenge for arresting him and that Laurel would be his last Masterpiece in town before he moved on to another city. It was signed by the Dollmaker." Tommy said in a quick voice.

"I'm on it." Oliver replied before he hung up and turned toward Black Canary, John and Lance.

"The Dollmaker has Laurel as well. He took her for revenge." Oliver explained.

"When did he have time to take her he just took Veronica!" Black Canary exclaimed angrily.

"He probably did it before he came here. Come on, let's go." Arrow replied and while John rushed to his black van, Arrow and Black Canary went to their own bikes.

"Wait, I'm coming with you." Lance called after them.

"Are you sure? this could be dangerous, he could be ready for us." Arrow asked him.

"It's my daughter and one of her best friends we're talking about, I'm not staying behind." Lance nodded.

"Get in the van then." Arrow nodded before he took his cellphone out once more and looked where the tracker was going.

When they arrived in the abandoned factory where Veronica was being held with Laurel, they spread around to surround Barton Mathis and to make sure he wouldn't escape.

Arrow and Black Canary arrived in what seemed to be Barton's lab and torture chamber at the same time and they could see Veronica and Laurel tied up in front of each other and hooked to two identical tube that was about to put polymer in their throats. There was a camera filming Laurel and they could guess that the plan had been to send the video to Lance to torture him later.

Oliver noticed that Veronica seemed to relax a bit when she saw him. He was here and she knew she'd be fine.

Not willing to give Mathis the time to do anything, Arrow shot the tubs out of the girls' mouths while Sara used her sonic cry to break all the glass around the place. Lance arrived at this moment and while he untied Veronica and Laurel, Arrow and Black Canary fought with Mathis. Of course the man was skilled but not enough to hold his own against the two of them, especially once John arrived and started pointing his gun at him.

The night ended well with Barton Mathis back behind bars and Lance still unaware that his other daughter was alive and in town playing hero. Veronica and Oliver went home feeling the need to be alone together for a while and so they locked themselves in their room to enjoy quietly and alone the fact that they were both alive and perfectly fine. Mathis had scared them both and they needed to calm down, together.

* * *

 **Another chapter done. What do you think? Which part is your favorite yet?**

 **This was a big chapter, but not the biggest. The biggest is yet to come.**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	15. Competition 2

**_Part 15_**

 ** _Competition 2_**

* * *

The morning after they had stopped the Dollmaker, Veronica and Oliver were enjoying a quiet, and as normal as possible, morning with Tommy and Laurel, having breakfast all together while, in the background, the TV showed a TV debate.

"Thea is crazy about this show, she forced us to watch the one about the vigilantes last week. Who's it about this week?" Veronica asked.

"Two very interesting young men, at least I think so, and i'm sure you'll agree with me. Tommy Merlyn and Oliver Queen." Laurel replied with an amused smile.

"There must be a problem then because I heard the word ' _eligible_ ' a few seconds ago and I don't think they are eligible." Veronica shook her head, amused as well.

"Let them talk honey, we don't care about what they'll say." Oliver told Veronica.

"Well, I'd like to know who they think is the best." Tommy joked.

"It would be a miracle if they concluded with an actual decision instead of a tie between the two of you." Laurel replied.

"Well, let's see what they have to say about us then." Oliver nodded, liking that the air was free of tensions between them and that they were all good friends.

The same people they had seen on Tv last week were there.

"I don't know why we're even trying to debate on which one is the most eligible bachelor. They're both taken." One of them declared.

"I always liked this one." Veronica commented with a smile while Laurel nodded.

"They might be dating but they're not married nor are they engaged, therefor I say they're still eligible." Another one replied, shaking their head.

"Oh come on, just take a look at their present relationship and you'll know they're serious about it." A blond woman argued.

"Yes, and let's not forget that they both cheated on their past girlfriend. I don't see why it would change now. There is still hope for the single ladies of Starling city. They haven't put a ring on it yet."

At that last mention, Tommy and Oliver exchanged a quick, knowing look. Veronica didn't seem to care, she was adding sugar to her coffee and they didn't see Laurel looking down.

"Just take a look at their lives since they started their present relationships. Oliver Queen is much calmer since he's with Veronica Mars. He hasn't been arrested or seen in a fight since he started being with her. The same goes for Tommy Merlyn and Laurel Lance." A brunette argued as seriously as someone debating about politics.

"Maybe they just got better at hiding it." A man shook his head.

"I don't think so." The blond woman argued.

"Why don't we talk about something else? I think this debate is going to put me right back to sleep." Laurel suggested, turning the volume down.

"I agree. They're ridiculous." Veronica nodded.

"Let's find something else to talk about while we eat breakfast then." Oliver declared, always happy to comply with whatever Veronica wanted.

"We both know I would have won anyway." Tommy joked.

"Keep dreaming Merlyn." Oliver smiled right back at him.

"Have you heard that Helena Bertinelli is back in town?" Laurel asked Oliver.

"What?" Oliver asked.

"Since when?" Veronica asked at the same time.

"I colleague of mine heard a rumor yesterday afternoon, with everything that's happened yesterday I forgot to tell you." Laurel replied, looking at Veronica.

"Tell me? Why would you want to tell me in particular? Oliver's the one she dated, he's the one you should warn." Veronica asked her.

"Well, she was dating Oliver before and she doesn't look the very sane kind of girl. She seems like the kind of girl who'd try to get to you because you're with her man." Laurel replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"I'm not her man, nor have I ever been. All we shared was a short lived fling." Oliver argued.

"Even if she decides to come after me, I'm sure I'll be fine. I never go anywhere without my taser." Veronica smiled.

"I'll have John watch over you until she's caught or leaves town though." Oliver declared, more for Laurel's benefit since he, Veronica and even Tommy knew that his girlfriend could take care of herself.

"Good, I'd hate for her to hurt you. We can't always count on Karma and Arrow to be there to save us." Laurel replied with a smile.

"They came last night." Tommy argued.

"Arrow came with some other woman dad said calls herself the Black Canary. Karma wasn't there."

"I'm sure it's not her fault, she probably had other things to do. We couldn't be the only people in trouble in town." Veronica told Laurel.

"I know that, I'm not mad at her. It just helped me realize that we can't expect them to always be there to protect us, sometimes, they'll have bigger fishes to fry." Laurel said before she opened a box of pastries she had bought for their breakfast.

"Why is there green frosting on it? It's can't be St Patrick's day already." Tommy asked her.

"Because they're named after Arrow and Karma's couple. The heart shaped ones are called Karrow and the circles ones are named Arrma. They're trying to decide on a definitive couple's name." Laurel explained.

In the box, there was two sorts of pastries. The first one was heart shaped with green frosting on it and, on the frosting and in black, a whip circling an arrow. The round one had green frosting too, the same green as the first one, with a whip catching the arrow, still in black.

"Karrow and Arrma?" Oliver asked her, confused.

"It's what they're debating calling them. As a couple, you know, every famous couple has a name now so they need theirs." Laurel added.

"What will they think of next." Veronica shook her head.

"Next to my office there's a soup and salad bar, you know, for those tired of burgers and hot dogs. They have a soup with green vegetables like leek and zucchini that's called the Arrow soup and they have a salad with lettuce, avocado and other green veggies named after Karma." Laurel informed them.

"Seriously? How do they even know that Arrow likes soup and Karma likes salad?" Veronica exclaimed.

"I guess they figured as long as they didn't come to attack them and yell at them to change the names, they were good to go. Plus, it helps them boost their sells. I think they named the salad after Karma because she's a woman who looks fit." Laurel explained.

"Makes sense. About that, Thea told me that she was thinking of naming cocktails after them at Verdant." Tommy told Oliver.

"Might as well if everyone else does it." He shrugged his shoulders.

"I'll start getting worried if they start naming sandwiches after them. Bread with green coloring? Brrr." Oliver smiled.

"At the bakery where I bought these pastries, they have a brand new drink called after the Black Canary. It's black coffee with just a touch of cream and no sugar. They have a green tea called Arrow and a kiwi smoothie called Karma." Laurel added.

"I wonder who sells better." Veronica declared as she took a bite of the heart shaped pastries.

"It makes sense. The vigilantes do help the Glades a lot. They saved them all by stopping Merlyn and they keep on protecting them every night. The people of the Glades wants them to know that they are grateful." Laurel explained.

"How do you know all of this?" Oliver asked her.

"I work there, remember? People talk to us." She replied.

.

Lyla Micheals was standing in front of a computer, staring at a picture of a criminal named Deadshot. She knew that Amanda Waller would love to have him join their little squad but this wasn't why she had looked so hard for him. She wanted to do this for John Diggle, her ex-husband, the man she still loved deep down and had just started seeing again.

"Is that him then?" Duncan Kane asked her.

She knew why he was helping her. He knew that John worked with Veronica now and he knew that if John went after Deadshot, Veronica would help and be in danger as well. He was trying to protect the woman he'd always love, and knew he wouldn't be with ever again, just like she was helping the man she loved. She had often worked with Duncan since he joined Argus and she liked him.

"Yes. He's in Russia." She nodded.

"If you want to go, I'll cover for you until you're too far to be stopped, you know that." he offered.

"Thank you Kane. I'll check in, as usual." She smiled before she left the base.

It wasn't the first time they worked together, they had often gone on mission together and worked well as a team. They knew each other's way of doing pretty well and she knew that if there was a way for them to go together while Lilly stayed safe and someone covered for them he'd go along. Unfortunately he couldn't, so he just did his best to cover her absence for as long as possible.

.

Helena Bertinelli wasn't happy. The reason she was back in Starling city didn't cheer her up. Her plan was to get to her father before he was transferred again but ever since coming back to town she had learned that Oliver had a new girlfriend, one that joined him at night when he was Arrow. She wasn't in love with Oliver, but it angered her to see that another woman was by his side when he was shooting arrows, that another woman had taken her place. She had quickly grown to hate Karma almost as much as she hated her father and she wanted to get rid of her, to be the only female anyone could be scared of.

She quickly learned everything she could about Veronica Mars and figured that the best thing to do would be to corner her at night while Oliver and John were busy somewhere else. Helena was certain that she could take her.

.

"Any news on Helena?" Oliver asked Veronica when she came in his office with lunch for him and John.

"No, nothing yet but I'm sure we'll find her. All we have to do is keep a distant eye on her father." Veronica replied.

"Sara said she'd keep an eye out as well." John added.

"You two worry too much. Why do you think she'll go after me? She hasn't done anything that even suggests she cares that you're with someone else." Veronica asked Oliver.

"Not yet, but with her you never know and I'd hate it if you got injured because I made the mistake of trusting her in the past." Oliver replied.

"Fine, I'll be on my guards but let the records show that I'm not worried." Veronica said with humor.

"I am." John and Oliver replied at the same time, making her smile.

"Well, to bring another, lighter subject up, Mac will arrive in town in two days. I'll go with her to check her apartment up and help her settle." Veronica informed them.

"Of course. I know that Thea wanted to be there and help her settle too. I'd help but I have an important meeting that I can't miss that day. Especially if you're not going to attend."

"I know, the board will be fine with you missing a meeting as long as I'm attending but if I'm not going to be there, you need to be." Veronica nodded.

.

"I really don't like this plan." Arrow declared as John checked Karma's moves on the screen of their computers.

"You can't be with her every minute of everyday, according to what I've heard, she was doing fine on her own before she joined you." Black Canary argued.

"I know that but Helena is on the loose, I don't like her being on her own in these conditions." Oliver shook his head.

"But she had a point, you're needed elsewhere. Now come on, get to your mission of the night, I'll join Veronica as soon as I've brought my dirtbag of the night to justice." Sara told Oliver on her way out of the lair.

"I would have joined her but she's right, until Mac comes, someone needs to stay here and coordinate. I'll warn you and Sara as soon as I hear something about the Huntress." John told his boss and friend.

"I know she is but it doesn't mean I have to like it. I'll try to make this fast so I can join her once I'm done." Arrow declared before he left the lair on his bike.

Indeed, they had had so much to do that night that they had to split up. Sara was going after a rapist on the run, because he had hurt a woman and it was her specialty. Oliver was going after a drug dealer and his colleagues while Veronica went after a gang that had robbed a bank. John was linked to them all through their earpieces and was able to coordinate, send them to the next place they'd be needed.

.

"I hate full moons in Starling city. The criminal activity is always much worst on those nights." Karma commented through her ear piece, knowing they could all hear her, while she was fighting the three men she was after.

"I haven't been in town long enough to confirm that but I can't say I disagree." Black Canary replied while she delivered kicks.

"Are you sure you're okay honey?" Arrow asked Karma.

"You worry too much." Karma replied while fighting could be heard on all ends of the discussion.

"You know it." He smiled.

Fast enough, Karma had her three men tied up and was waiting for Lance's men to pick them up. She walked to her motorcycle and climbed on it, ready to ride it to the next location John would send her to. She rode for only a couple of minutes when another, purple, bike arrived and pushed her to the side, causing an accident. Karma knew that John, Arrow and Black Canary would be able to hear everything so she assured them that she was fine before looking up and realizing who had caused her accident.

"I don't know why he chose you. You're not worthy." Huntress snarled.

"Helena Bertinelli, or do you prefer the nickname the cops gave you? Huntress? I guess you waited until I was alone to attack me. Didn't want to risk facing him? Too scared?" Karma asked her.

"You know nothing!" Huntress spat before she tried to shoot an arrow at Karma, who managed to move aside just in time.

"You're going to have to do better than that if you want to stop me." Karma smirked, taking her whip out.

Veronica realized that Helena was full of anger and that it might just be what would be her downfall.

"I'm only getting started."

"Funny, I knew you'd say that." Veronica said before she jumped in the fight, hearing though her earpiece that Arrow and Black Canary were on their way, along with John who was leaving the lair to try and get to her as soon as possible.

"You know, you can take your mask off. I know that behind Karma, there's little blond Veronica Mars." Huntress informed her opponent.

"Right, I'll take it off right after you take yours off." She replied.

"I don't know what he sees in you."

"Is this really all about Oliver? Because you're jealous that you weren't the one for him? That he found someone else who makes him happy?" Veronica asked her as they kept of fighting.

Helena had managed to send Karma's whip away right after she lost her own weapon and they were now fighting hand to hand.

"He shouldn't have pushed me away." Helena frowned.

"You weren't who he needed in his life, you can't force someone to be with you."

"Maybe, but he didn't have to move on so fast. Tell me the truth, was he already with you when he was sleeping with me?" Helena asked Veronica, choosing her her words very carefully.

"He's not that man anymore, he wouldn't do that to anyone, not now." Veronica exclaimed, offended for Oliver.

"Right, because you know him so well." Huntress chuckled humorlessly.

"We're true partners Helena. Not only dating and fighting crime. We work together, live together, understand each other. Sometimes we don't even have to speak to know what the other is thinking. You can't compare the fling the two of you had with what I have with him now." Karma replied angrily, not seeing that, too far to hear what was being said but close enough to see it, a teenage boy was snapping pictures of them fighting.

Pictures he'd manage to sell for a good price a few hours later, enough to buy himself a new car and buy his sister a computer.

"But is the sex as good as it was when he was with me?" Huntress asked, and Karma understood that she was trying to get her angry, to make her lose control, which only motivated her to keep her calm.

Ignoring Huntress, Karma managed to roll over and grab her whip, which she used to knock Huntress down. As soon as Helena was on her back, Veronica took her taser out and used it to keep the crazy woman on the floor. She was about to bent down to tie her up when Arrow's arms wrapped around her from behind.

"I'll do it." Black Canary declared.

"Are you okay Honey?" Oliver asked her while John, who arrived at the same time the others did, helped Sara tie Huntress up.

"A few bruises here and there but nothing major." She smiled reassuringly.

"You're bleeding." He said with a frown, pointing to her forearm.

"It's not too deep, I won't even need to go to the hospital. You'll be able to sew me back up. For once it'll be you playing nurse with me." She told him with an amused smile, making him smile as well.

"You did good against her." he complimented her.

"I had a good teacher." She replied.

"I texted Lance, he was still picking up Veronica's bank robbers. He's on his way." John announced and, since they didn't have time to leave, they all turned on their voice changers.

Black Canary looked more nervous that she was used to but she held on. John simply put on a black hood, thinking that he really needed a better disguise when he went out.

"It took all four of you to stop her?" Lance asked them as soon as he got out of his car.

"I was alone, they only made it near the end." Karma informed him.

"Just in time to see you kick her ass." Black Canary smirked.

"Well, thank you for your work tonight. I hate full moons around here, it's like all the crazies turn on their villain genes or something." Lance replied, finishing by shaking his head.

"Glad to know we agree on something." Arrow chuckled.

"Well, you lot have a good night. Thanks again for the help, especially with her. She killed 5 men trying to locate her father before coming here tonight. I guess we're lucky she wanted you more than she wanted her father." Lance told them as two of his men helped Huntress stand up and brought her to the car to bring her in.

About half an hour later, they were all back in the lair where Oliver was sewing Veronica's forearm back up. It only took a few stitches though.

"I feel that keeping my promise to Nyssa is going to be harder than I thought." Sara told Veronica with an amused smile.

"Very funny Sara. As you can see, I did pretty fine on my own, without your protection." Veronica replied.

"You're the heir to the demon, winning is in your blood." Sara replied before she wished them all goodnight and left.

"Aren't any of you worried that Helena is in cops' custody with the knowledge of the true identity of Arrow and Karma?" John asked them.

"I don't think she'll speak, no matter how angry she is, she has some sense of loyalty. I doubt she'll speak." Oliver shook his head.

"I agree. I don't think she'll speak, not unless we do something to really anger her." Veronica agreed.

"Fine, but we might need to work on a plan in case she reveals your identities." John insisted.

"Sara and you could wear Karma and Arrow's outfits and be seen in town one night while Oliver and I are on a very public date together. Make sure a lot of people see us all together, this way if she ever speaks, there will be proof that we're not them." Veronica suggested.

"It's a good idea but it would be suspicious if John isn't with us on that night, she knows him, knows he works with me." Oliver argued.

"What about Tommy?" Sara asked.

"What?" Oliver asked.

"Good idea. He's the right height, he could put on the suit. He'd just have to train a little and be able to play Arrow for a few minutes." Veronica nodded, understanding what Sara meant.

"You're right. I'll speak with him about it tomorrow." Oliver nodded.

.

That night, once Oliver and Veronica found themselves in their room at the Queen mansion, they enjoyed being in each other's arms and relaxed. Right as they came home, they had seen pictures of Veronica's fight against Helena online and of course everyone was commenting on how hot it was that they had fought.

"I hated not being with you tonight, I was afraid you'd get hurt." He told her.

"I know but I was fine. You just like it better when you can fight for me." She replied with a smile.

"True. Are you mad at me for it?" he asked her.

"No, I love you even more for it, because I know that you know when to stay away and when to help me, even when you want to help me." She admitted.

"I just want you to be happy."

"I am, very happy. I feel like the life we have now, together, is complete. "

"But?" he asked her, sensing something coming.

"But I... I miss having Backup, my old dog. I think I'd like having one again but I don't know how it would work with all the time we spend at the office."

"Well, we could take it with us to the office, I'm sure with us as its masters it would be well behaved and I heard that pets help people focus and work better. I was already considering allowing cats in the offices, under some conditions of course." He told her, knowing that if she wanted a dog, he wouldn't be able to convince her otherwise.

He'd do it just to see her smile and, truth be told, he always wanted one as well and having a puppy with Veronica felt like the first step before having a kid.

"What about here? Would your mother accept a dog in this house or would we have to get our own place?"

"I'm sure she would. We never had one because dad didn't like dogs, or pets in general. Mom would agree. And Thea would definitely love it too." he replied.

"Are you agreeing to _us_ getting a dog?" She asked him, insisting on 'us'.

"I am. Once Mac is all settled in and things calm down a bit, we should definitely start looking." He nodded.

"I love you so much!" She exclaimed happily before she kissed him.

.

When Mac parked her car in front of the address Veronica had given her, she was very excited. It was a new beginning for her, a new life. She knew that she'd be able to join Team Arrow at night, work with them from the computers of the lair. Veronica had even found a nickname for her already. She was going to be Overwatch. She wouldn't go on the field, simply because it's not the kind of things she likes, but she'd be able to help them do good in town and she was very excited about it.

She also couldn't wait to start her new job in the IT department of Queen Consolidated. She'd have her own office and not only she'd have a better pay than she had at Kane Software but she'd be working on interesting projects.

As soon as she parked her car, she noticed that Veronica was waiting for her in front of the entrance. Her moving truck had arrived the day before and all she'd have to do now was to open her boxes and put everything away, with the help of Veronica and Thea Queen, who had insisted on meeting her and helping.

"I'm so ready for this." Mac told herself before she left her car and went to hug Veronica.

.

While Veronica was helping her friend Mac opening boxes, Nyssa was finally pushing the doors that separated her from her father, ready to tell him the news.

"Father, I have news." She announced.

"Does it have anything to do with Sara Lance not being back with you?" he asked her.

"Yes, it does. I asked her to stay in Starling city for the time being." She replied.

"You asked her? Why is that?" At first he thought that she'd say she had relieved Sara of her duties to the League and he was surprised by her answer.

"Do you remember ever meeting this woman?" Nyssa asked her father, showing him an old picture of Leanne.

"Why do you ask?"

Nyssa answered her father of course, she told him what happened when she found Sara and saw Veronica. She showed him a recent picture of Veronica Mars, along with the results of the tests Veronica had done and that Sara had sent her by email. When he didn't interrupt her, she told him everything she knew about her new sister and what Leanne had told her was her reason for never speaking up.

"You believed before you saw the results, didn't you? This is why you asked your beloved to stay back." He asked her.

"I did. She's my little sister. Your daughter." Nyssa nodded.

"I want to meet her."

"Should I plan a trip to Starling city?"

"No, that would have been necessary if there was any doubts but there aren't. Go and bring her back here to me. I want to meet her, get to know her and give her her place in our league."

"She might not want to stay here. She has a life she loves in Starling City."

"We won't keep her here against her will, but she's Heir to the Demon as well and needs to know where she comes from. She needs to be introduced to the League and know that she's a part of our family. I'll start making arrangement to get things ready for her."

"Can her boyfriend Oliver Queen come with her? They're pretty serious." Nyssa asked her father with a nod.

"Yes, he can. I want to meet him as well. Take the League's plane to make this trip faster than the last one." Raz Al Ghul agreed.

"Yes father. I'll try to be as quick as possible." Nyssa nodded with a smile before she left the room and, soon, Nanda Parbat as well.

* * *

 **So, what do you think of this chapter?**

 **Several small things happened. Some will grow in future chapters (Duncan, Nanda Parbat...)**

 **What do you think should be Karma and Arrow's couple name?**

 **Thank you for reading this story, don't hesitate to share it.**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	16. Nandat Parbat

**_Nanda Parbat_**

* * *

"Nyssa is on her way. Raz wants to meet you in Nanda Parbat." Sara announced to Veronica that night before they went out in their vigilante outfits while Mac was happily typing away on the lair's computers.

"I guess I should have known. Why isn't he coming here?" Veronica asked her back.

"He would have come if he had had any doubts but since he's inviting you to Nanda Parbat, it means that he believes that you're his daughter and that he wants to welcome you in his life, probably in the League as well." Sara replied.

"Does that mean that we stop doing this while she's gone? I just got started, I don't want a break yet!" Mac exclaimed, assuming rightfully that Oliver would go with Veronica.

"I'll stay here, don't worry, we'll keep the fort going together." John Diggle told her with a smile.

"I guess I need to take a few days off work. If she arrives tomorrow and we leave immediately, I should be fine by taking just a week or so off work." Oliver nodded.

"The board won't like the two of us not being around at the same time." Veronica replied but nodded.

"It's still a family company. They'll be able to contact mom if anything big happens and we'll be reachable through our phones, it'll be fine. Everything's gone well since I took over, they shouldn't have anything to say about it. Is there Wifi there?" Oliver reassured them and asked Sara.

"No, no internet there. Nanda Parbat isn't exactly a top vacationing location." She shook her head.

"I should be able to fix that. I've been working on something. Long story short, you take it with you and you'll be able to have wifi wherever you go, even if there's no initial internet or even cellphone reception anywhere around you, even in Nanda Parbat. I should be able to finish it by tomorrow." Mac replied quickly in a very excited voice.

"Great, thanks Mac. This will allow us to stay in touch with the company while we're away." Veronica nodded with a smile.

"You're ready to go then? To meet him?" Sara asked Veronica.

"I am, yes. Don't get me wrong, Keith will always be my father, but considering the mother I have, having two fathers shouldn't be such a bad thing. Plus, twice the gifts on my birthday!" Veronica told Sara with a small smile.

"Always see things on the bright side." Oliver nodded.

.

When Nyssa arrived, Veronica, Sara and Oliver were already packed and ready to go. They took the League's plane a couple of hours after it landed and were on their ways.

"Are you okay, sister? Not too nervous?" Nyssa asked Veronica while Oliver and Sara played chess.

"A bit nervous, yes. I'm not sure what to expect and I don't like the unknown. I'm usually well prepared for everything, rarely enter an unknown room without doing my research on everyone inside it first. I feel like this could go one of two ways: well or badly. I don't want it to go badly." Veronica explained.

"I'm sure it'll go well, don't worry. Our father might be a hard man, but he loves me, he loved my sister and I know that it won't take him long to love you as well. He assured me that if in the end, you wanted nothing to do with the League, he'd let you go."

"I... I don't know how I'll get along with our father but, Nyssa, I want you to know that I'm glad you're my big sister. I always wanted one and the closest I got to it was with my friend Lilly who was murdered all these years ago." Veronica told her.

"But you have Thea, Oliver's sister." Nyssa reminded her.

"Yes, Thea is more like a little sister, by age and through our relationship. It's not the same kind of relationship." Veronica shook her head.

"I get it. I'm sure we'll get along well." Nyssa smiled back at her little sister.

"About Nanda Parbat, is it like a large house with lots of open ground around it for the League to train or more like a small village?" Veronica asked her curiously.

"It's more like an antic castle built in a mountain. Well protected, very hard to find if you don't already know where it is and almost impossible to break into if you haven't been in before." Nyssa replied.

"A castle? So you're kind of like a princess?" Veronica asked her.

"If you want to see our father like a king, then I guess you could say that we're princesses, yes. But definitely not the Disney version, even Mulan is too soft to be like us." Nyssa replied with an amused smile.

"I always wanted to be a princess." Veronica smiled.

"Dating a _Queen_ is the first step." Nyssa whispered so that Oliver couldn't hear her.

"Yes, he does have a way to make me feel like a princess sometimes." Veronica nodded, liking that her sister had humor.

"Does he make you happy?"

"Very. I've never been this happy with someone before, never had this feeling that I can trust every word he says and put my life in his hands. Even if he ended up lying to me, I just knew that it would be for a good reason. I just trust him enough to know that he'll always have my best interests at heart."

"You love him." Nyssa stated.

"I do, more than I can say with words, and I know that he feels the same way." Veronica smiled.

"Good. But as your big sister, know that I'll always keep an eye out and that if he does anything to hurt you, I won't be the only one coming after him." Nyssa assured her sister.

"It's strange because I've always been the kind of girl to think about the breakup as soon as the relationship started, I could see all the ways it could end before the first date even ended but ever since Oliver and I started being together, I can't do it. I don't see it end. I can't even think about our relationship ending. It's like the very idea is impossible to form." Veronica whispered back.

"Maybe it means that he's the one then. True Love and all that. I've heard stories, soul mates, true love. My father even met with a couple, they're reborn and destined to meet and fall in love in every single one of their lives. True Love and soul mates, people destined to be together, is real. Maybe that's what you and Oliver are." Nyssa explained with a smile.

"I hope so." Veronica nodded with a smile.

Turning to the side, Veronica saw that Sara was winning at their game of chess and she was happy to realize that she didn't feel as nervous as before. Nyssa had done her big sister's job to the perfection. She had managed to calm Veronica's nerves.

.

When they finally landed, Veronica's nerves had build up once more. Oliver immediately took her hand in his and held it tightly. He knew that she needed comfort and so did his best to give it to her.

"Tell me it's all going to be fine." Veronica asked in a voice loud enough to be heard by everyone.

"Everything is going to be fine." Oliver whispered to her.

"Don't worry V, it'll be okay." Sara told her while clapping her on the back.

"You worry too much sister. It's your home, everything will be fine." Nyssa assured her.

"Okay, I think I'm ready, let's go." Veronica nodded, looking determined.

"You're a strong woman Honey, he'll see that and he'll have no choice but to be proud of the woman you've become." Oliver added.

"What if I'm not strong enough to please him?" Veronica asked him back.

"He's your father, a father is always proud of his child, no matter what. And you've given him every reason to be proud." Oliver reassured her.

Together, they walked through the plain, entered a barely noticeable passage between two large rocks and walked for about an hour before they finally arrived in front of a large double door that opened before they could even knock.

"Good thing we packed light." Veronica commented as then entered.

Nyssa asked them to give their bags to one of the men waiting by the door. They did and he took them to the bedroom they'd be using during their stay in Nanda Parbat. Once they were free of their bags, Nyssa guided the group through the corridors, letting Veronica stop and observe whenever she felt like stopping to watch something she found interesting or intriguing.

"This place is amazing." Veronica commented.

"Glad you think so since this is now your home too." A deep voice said from behind them as Veronica and Oliver looked at an antic vase.

They immediately turned around and realized that the voice had belonged to Raz Al Ghul himself.

"Father, this is Veronica and Oliver." Nyssa replied.

"Raz Al Ghul." Sara greeted him.

"You're... I... Hi." Veronica greeted the powerful man, not really knowing how to behave or what to call him.

"Wow, who knew that only Raz Al Ghul would have the power to render you speechless Honey." Oliver chuckled, making Sara and Nyssa chuckle as well, before he greeted Raz.

"What? I'm nervous, that's all." Veronica protested.

"There's no need to be, I assure you. Now come, follow me. I'll give you a tour of the place, then we'll have dinner and once that's done, You and I will talk, if you want." Raz announced, ending the sentence by looking at Veronica only.

"I'd like that." She nodded.

She appreciated what he was doing, giving her time to get used to him and the place before they spent time alone and got to know each other. Sara and Nyssa left the group and so Raz took Oliver and Veronica on the tour alone, showing them everything, even the secret emergency exits and the hidden weapons. He wanted her to know absolutely everything about the place.

"Wow, you guys even have a hot tub, that's so cool!" Veronica exclaimed once they arrived in the last room, the one with the pit in it.

"It's not a mere hot tub Veronica. This is the Lazarus pit." Raz replied with a chuckle.

"Lazarus? Like the guy in the bible?" She asked him.

"You can say that. It has the property to heal wounds and even bring back people from the dead, though it has a price." he replied.

"I take it this is how you can look so young after living for so long?" She asked him.

"It is. If you ever need it, all you have to do is ask." He nodded.

"Thanks." She smiled.

After that, they went to the dinning room where Nyssa and Sara were waiting for them.

"So, how was the tour, sister? What do you think of Nanda Parbat?" Nyssa asked Veronica.

"It's large, and very interesting. It makes me feel like I'm walking in some sort of ancient museum or something. Full of beautiful art and weapons that could be mistaken for art and are probably antics. I have a friend in Neptune who used to collect ancient looking weapons, well, copies anyway. I'm sure he'd be in heaven here." Veronica replied.

"Which one?" Oliver asked her.

"Norris, remember, the one who became a deputy?" She replied.

"The one who used to have a crush on you." Oliver nodded with a frown, remembering that he had been mentioned by Mac and Wallace a few times.

"So you were popular with the boys then?" Raz asked Veronica while a member of his league brought them food.

"Not that much. At first I was with Duncan, Lilly's brother and after she died and we broke up, I was some sort of pariah at school. But it was probably still too much for my fath... I mean, for Keith." she replied, stopping before she called Keith her father, afraid he'd have been offended.

"It's okay to call him your father Veronica. That man raised you and helped you become the woman you are today. I won't be offended if you call him your father in front of me. I owe him a lot for having loved you and raised you to become such an incredible young woman. For being your father alone that makes him family to us." Raz told Veronica, understanding her problem and showing everyone a softer side of him.

"Thank you. I was afraid you'd be offended... I think, once things have settled down, that he'd like to meet you." Veronica replied with a smile.

"And share some stories about Veronica growing up and the adventure that raising her was." Oliver added, amused.

"It was not! I'll have you know that I was a well behaved little girl." Veronica protested.

"Really? Because I remember Keith telling me a story about a little girl who once tried to flush herself down the toilet so she could join the mermaids in the ocean, even though you lived right next to it." He smiled.

"I was 5 and I only did it because Lilly thought it would be a great idea for us to become mermaids. And we couldn't go to the beach because it was raining." Veronica explained.

"I'm sure I'll love to hear these stories and to meet Keith Mars. I owe him and he will always be welcome here." Raz stated.

At this point, another man entered the room with a jar of wine and when Oliver looked up and saw the man, he stood up.

"Maseo? Is that you?" Oliver asked him.

"Maseo is dead. I am Sarab now." The man replied but Veronica could see an hidden emotion behind his eyes.

"You two know each other?" Nyssa asked Oliver.

"They met during Oliver's time away. He wasn't always on the Island. At some point, Argus tried to force him to work for them, to stop the Omega virus before it was released. They failed and Maseo's son died in the process." Veronica explained quickly and in a low voice.

She knew everything there was to know about Oliver and she knew that he wouldn't feel like explaining right now.

"Which is the reason why I came here to start over, erase Maseo and become a new man." Sarab added.

"Is Tatsu here as well?" Oliver asked his old friend.

"No, we've parted ways after everything happened and never reconciled. Now excuse me, I have to go." Sarab replied before he turned around and left the room.

"I'm sure the two of you will be able to catch up later during your stay here." Raz assured Oliver once he sat down, letting him know that he was allowing this re-connection.

They spent the rest of dinner talking about various subject and, once it was over, Nyssa and Sara offered to show Oliver to their training room so Veronica could have some private time with her father.

"You don't need to be nervous, child. I won't bite." He said with a smile when he noticed how nervous she looked.

"I can't help it. You're a bit intimidating." She confessed.

"I know, I can't help it anymore, it helped me win many battles and calm many conflicts over the years." He replied kindly.

"I can see how. This place is very impressive."

"You said you liked it..." he told her in an interrogative manner.

"Oh, I do. It was a compliment." She smiled.

"I know that you didn't grow up here but I want you to know that this place is your home too now. Whenever you want to come, no matter the reason, you'll always be welcome. You're my daughter and tomorrow, we'll have a ceremony with League members to welcome you as my second heir. The bedroom you and Oliver will sleep in tonight will be yours alone, nobody else will use it for as long as you live."

"So I'm heir to the demon too, now?" She asked him with a smile.

"Yes." He nodded.

"Sounds bad-ass, I like it. Why the Demon though? I'm sure there's a long and interesting history behind the League, your name and everything... I'd love to hear it." She told him, opening the conversation.

"Nyssa told me that you had a curious nature. I'll tell you the most important tonight and I've prepared a few journals for you. A few of my men worked on it, they translated our recorded history for you. This way you'll be able to take them with you in Starling city and read them at your own pace." he replied.

"Thank you. I was wondering... Do you think you could train me a little I mean, don't get me wrong, I can hold my own when I'm Karma with my whip and I'm almost as good as Oliver in hand to hand combat now but I want to be better. Learn to fight with a sword or something..." She asked him.

"The whip is your preferred weapon, isn't it?" He asked her, surprised with her demand.

"It is and John, a friend of ours, is having a friend of his trying to make me some sort of electrified whip. Whip meet Taser. Even more bad-ass. But I can't always have it on me. Sometimes it falls down. You never know who you're up against and I like being prepared. I want to be the strongest possible." Veronica explained.

"I completely understand and approve. How long are you staying?" he asked her.

"No more than a week, we'll have to get back to work after that. But I can always come back later, like for a weekend or something when the town is calm." She offered.

"That would be perfect. I know that Nyssa will want to visit you as well. She wants a chance to get to know you better so I think I'll appoint her a team that will be stationed close to your city so that they can reach you if you need help. Maybe I'll let Sarab go as well, I know that he feels like he owes Oliver. I'll come as well, when I can get away from the League." Raz replied.

After that, they spent hours talking about anything and everything. Raz told Veronica the basics of the League, she told him about her growing up, especially her high school years. She told him how her best friend's murder changed her life and helped her find out who she is and she even told him what she told few people: that she could see Lilly's ghost from time to time.

"And you only see her when you're in danger?" He asked her, curious.

"Not always, sometimes she leads me to an important clue. She's guided me to solve cases, saved my life, guided me to Thea Queen... Do you know what it means? Oliver told me that mystical was real, so I know that I'm not crazy but I'd like to know what it means, or if there's a way for me to have a real, complete conversation with her." Veronica told him.

"I'm not sure, but I'll look into it, ask my contacts." He promised her, already knowing who he'd ask.

"Thank you. But the fact that I can see her ghost speaks to you, doesn't it? You reacted when I spoke of it." She noticed.

"It reminded me of an old prophecy... I'll tell you all about it tomorrow, with your sister and Oliver present. I need the night to think about what it means." He told her.

"Alright. Be careful not to fall into the old ' _self fulfilling prophecy_ ' thing. Sometimes things come true just because we heard the prophecy and made them true by trying to avoid it." She smiled.

"Which is why I need the night to think. You're wise. I had a plan to make this prophecy true but now... I see how it needs to come true." He smiled kindly.

"I'm glad I could help." She replied, trying to hide a yawn.

"You're tired, I'll show you to your room." he stated.

"It's been a long and tiring day. I didn't sleep much the night before because of the nerves and I think it's finally settling now." She explained with an apologetic smile.

"Because you're at ease now, you know that you're safe." he nodded.

"I do. I... How should I call you?" She finally asked him.

"Well, you can always call me Raz, or _father_ like Nyssa does. _Head of the demon_ might be a bit too formal for my daughter." he smiled and Veronica was thankful that he understood that she didn't feel right calling him 'dad' since this was how she called Keith.

"I'll call you ' _Head of the Demon_ ' when I'm mad at you." She chuckled.

"Good to know." He chuckled along with her.

When they arrived in her bedroom, Veronica was in awe of the beauty of it. It made her feel like some sort of royalty and she realized that here, that's what she was.

"I'll warn Oliver that you're here. He's probably still training with Nyssa and Sara." Her father told her.

"Thank you father. Good night." She smiled.

"Good night daughter, I'll see you in the morning." he replied with a smile, happy to have heard her call him father.

.

Raz quickly went to find Oliver and his daughter. He could have sent someone but he felt like he needed to have a little conversation with the man his daughter loved.

"Father! Is everything alright? Where's my sister?" Nyssa asked him as soon as he entered the room.

"I just walked her to her room, she was tired." he replied.

"I guess it's getting late, I should join her." Oliver nodded.

"I'll walk you there, it'll give us the opportunity to talk a little." Raz offered and Oliver nodded.

"I suppose that you already had the overprotective dad speech with Keith Mars." Raz stated.

"I did but I'm sure it wasn't anything as scary as one you'd give me." Oliver replied.

"Don't worry, I approve. I've been watching you from afar for a while now, I had plans to try and bring you in the League. Now I don't have to. Veronica made us family." Raz replied.

"About that... I didn't have time to talk to Keith about it yet but... I love Veronica more than I've ever loved anyone, we complete each other perfectly and I... I plan on asking her to marry me."

"Are you trying to ask for my permission?" Raz asked him, amused.

"Well, she'd be offended if she knew that I was because she's very independent and doesn't approve of the whole 'asking for the father's approval thing' but I feel like you're the kind of man who'd need me to ask his permission before I made any sort of plans." Oliver replied.

"You have it. Do you already have the ring? Do you know when you'll propose?" Raz asked him.

"Not yet, I want it to be special. As for the ring... It's complicated. I'm having it custom made. I want it to be in several separate pieces. One engagement ring for Oliver and Veronica, one for Karma and Arrow. Both these rings will make one and the two wedding bands will blend as well around the engagement rings and create one big ring. Though I had to select the jewels carefully so she can still wear the ring under her gloves. I know she doesn't like things too flashy... I tried to make it perfect for us." Oliver replied honestly.

"I'm impressed. So you're planning on two proposals then?"

"Yes, I am. I'd also like two weddings. One for Oliver Queen and Veronica Mars, one for Karma and Arrow. Both of which you'd be invited to of course."

"I'd also like for the two of you to have a ceremony here. I understand that Oliver and Veronica's wedding needs to be in Starling but maybe..." Raz stopped, looking at Oliver.

"Of course. Karma and Arrow can have their weddings here. One less venue to look for. Or we could have a third wedding here if you want. The more the merrier, right?" Oliver asked.

"Go to her now, I'll see you two in the morning. I'll have something important to discuss with the two of you and Nyssa. Good night Oliver." Raz told his daughter's love before he turned around and left the corridor, leaving Oliver glad to know that the Head of the Demon approved of him with Veronica.

.

The next morning, it took Veronica a while before she remembered where she was and why she was there. She had been very comfortable in the bed. She didn't know what it was made of but she would bet that it was handmade and extremely expensive. She made a mental note to ask her father about it later.

"How did you sleep Love?" Oliver asked her from his spot next to her.

"Better than I have in a while. I love this mattress. How long have you been up?" She asked him.

"Just about half an hour. My assistant called with a few questions about today's meeting, she forgot to write everything down before I left and wanted to check to make sure she had everything." Oliver replied.

"I told you that she was a good choice." Veronica smiled.

"Yes, you did." he replied before someone brought them breakfast and told them that Raz would be expecting them in about an hour.

When they finally joined The leader of the League of assassins, Nyssa was already present and told them that Sara was busy elsewhere for the moment. They all greeted each other before they sat down, ready to listen to what Raz wanted to talk to them about.

"It's become obvious to me now that Nyssa won't give me an heir, her love for Sara doesn't seem to waver. At first I was going to go to extreme length to find a way to make sure she'd provide our family with an heir but Veronica provided me with another solution. Nyssa will remain next in line to become head to the demon, but, if she doesn't have any children of her own, Veronica's children will be the ones to inherit after her." Raz declared.

"I... Are you sure?" Veronica asked, shocked.

"It sounds like the best solution to me." Nyssa nodded, agreeing and glad to know that her father wouldn't force her to have a man's child.

"I'm sure, Veronica. You already make me proud and I have faith in your relationship with Oliver. I know that you will provide our family with many heirs." Raz smiled.

"When you say ' _many_ ', I hope you're not expecting me to fill this place up with babies because, okay, I do want, eventually, a couple of kids, but _Many_ sounds like a lot to me." Veronica started to panic, making her father and sister chuckle.

"Don't worry, child. I meant down the line. Your children and their children. You're going to make our family even stronger." He smiled.

"Alright then. Oliver?" Veronica asked him.

"Of course. If we have enough children, we'll be able to give them a choice and at least one of them will want to take over after Nyssa." he smiled.

"Now, on to another subject. Veronica is going to spend the day with Nyssa, getting ready for tonight's ceremony that will introduce her to the League as my daughter. Sara is waiting with Veronica's new ceremony clothes." Raz announced and his daughters nodded.

Veronica kissed Oliver and her father before she followed her big sister out of the room, ready to listen to League's stories and legends and to learn the proper way to act during the ceremony.

.

While Veronica was getting prepared, Raz told Oliver about his own history, how he joined the League and how he became Raz. He told him about his ex best friend Damian Darhk and of the fact that he had found another way to live longer, using mystical energies and totems. Raz told Oliver a lot before he allowed his future son in law and his old friend Maseo, or Sarab, to spend some time together and talk a bit.

A few hours later, when the sun started to set on the mountains surrounding them, the ceremony started. It looked like the entire league was present and Veronica was surprised to find that she didn't feel nervous at all. She felt perfectly fine, like she belonged. She was confident that this was were she was supposed to be and, following the script her sister had given her, Veronica did everything she was supposed to do.

In front of Everyone, Veronica kneeled in front of her father while a priestess tattooed her shoulder with the same tattoo that her sister had. This tattoo was specific to the women in their family because Nyssa's older sister, the one that was now gone, had gotten it first. Nyssa had taken it later on to honor her sister and Veronica decided to do the same.

When, finally, at the end of the ceremony, her father passed around her neck a necklace that would have her recognized as his daughter and heir to anyone who knew anything about the League, she felt pride and couldn't help the bright smile that graced her face.

"You are now heir to the demon." Raz announced while Veronica turned to face the League, who kneeled in front of her and officially recognized her as Heir to the Demon.

.

While Veronica and Oliver spent the rest of their stay in Nanda Parbat learning new ways of fighting and getting to know their new family, Duncan Kane and Amanda Waller were facing a problem of their own. Lyla had failed in her self appointed mission and, more than that, she had been compromised.

"Do we know where she is now?" Amanda asked Duncan.

"Yes, I located her at the Cauchemard, a goulag. We think that this is where Deadshot is as well." Duncan replied.

"We can't afford to lose men on this right now, we have too much to do. Ask her ex husband and your friend Veronica for help. You let her go without my permission, you're handling the rescue mission. You better not fail Kane, she's one of my best agents. She might even replace me some day." Amanda Waller replied before she left the room.

* * *

 **I hope you liked this one as well. I don't know if I did it justice and really wrote everything the way it was in my head... Anyway, biggest chapter yet!**

 **Don't forget to let me know what you think.**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	17. Hot in Russia

**_Hot in Russia_**

* * *

"Get ready Lilly, we're going to Starling City." Duncan told his daughter in a hurry.

Lilly nodded, surprised. She knew that Starling city was where her godmother, Veronica, lived. Her father had allowed her to follow all of her exploits as Karma but they never went there. The few times she saw Veronica was through a computer screen or in Argus property, where it was safe from the bad men that had tried to get her away from her father when she was a baby, right after her mother died.

"Why are we going there daddy?" She asked him.

"Lyla is in trouble, we need to ask John and Veronica for help. You're coming with me because you'll be coming with us." He replied.

He could have left her several days in a row with Argus personnel to watch over her but he wanted to give her a small sense of normalcy. She'd go with them and he knew that she'd be safe.

"I hope she's okay." Lilly nodded.

She liked Lyla. The older and experienced woman had taught her father everything she knew and was like family to them now. She was like an older sister to Duncan and an aunt to her.

"Does Veronica know we're coming?" She asked.

"No, it'll be a surprise." he smiled, knowing his daughter liked to surprise Veronica.

"Since we're going out, can I have a burger?" She asked her father, tired of Argus food.

"Of course, honey." he nodded.

.

Veronica and Oliver had been back for a week. Sara had stayed behind but promised to come back with Nyssa soon to visit them and to come as fast as possible if they ever needed the Black Canary's help. The couple had gotten right back to work and to crime fighting. Everything had gone well at Queen Consolidated during their absence and the board was confident that Oliver knew what he was doing and would lead them to the top once more. They were well on their way already.

Mac was presently on a date and so Veronica, Oliver and John ate their dinner at Big Belly Burger together. Things were pretty calm that night and even though they felt like it was the calm before the storm, they decided to enjoy the quiet while they could.

"I wish there had been a Big belly burger in Nanda Parbat." Veronica stated as she took a large bite of her burger.

"They do state that they're everywhere." John smiled.

"Maybe if you ask Raz he'll have one build just for you, you do seem to have him wrapped around your little finger." Oliver told her with an amused smile.

"It's the head tilt, I'm telling you, there's a real power behind it." She smiled before a passing little girl caught her attention.

"What's wrong?" Oliver asked her.

"That girl... I... It can't be... She just looks a lot like Lilly." Veronica shook her head.

They all watched as the little girl, with their back on them, went to the counter, ordered, paid and waited to be served. Veronica shook her head and forced herself to look back to her boyfriend. They talked about their day for a few more minutes before a small hand on Veronica's arm made they turn.

"Hi Aunt Veronica. Daddy needs your help."

"Lilly! So it was you!" Veronica exclaimed before she hugged the little girl and officially introduced her to John and Oliver, who had only seen her through the computer screen so far.

Both men started looking around for any sign of danger.

"What's going on, Lilly? Where's your father? Why are you here?" Veronica asked her.

"Dad is hiding, waiting outside. Lyla is in trouble and he needs your help to get her back." Lilly replied, her Big belly Burger order in her hand.

"Lyla? My Lyla?" John asked the little girl who nodded with a sad look on her face.

"Let's go." Veronica decided, abandoning what was left of her meal.

Oliver and John did like her. Veronica took Lilly's hand and let the little girl guide them to Duncan, who was waiting for them on the side, in the shadows.

They invited Duncan to come with them to their lair where, after spending a few minutes reconnecting with Veronica, he told them why he needed their help.

"Lyla went on an unauthorized and self appointed mission in Russia, looking to catch a criminal you know as Deadshot. She asked me to stay behind and cover for her for as long as I could, which I did... She stopped communicating a few days ago, which is unlike her and I found out that she's been caught. She's imprisoned in a Gulag called Cauchemard. That's all the information I could find on my own though and Amanda Waller refuses to waste anyone on her rescue because Lyla went behind her back, though she claims it's because she doesn't have any available men. I need your help to get her back. I don't think I can get her on my own." he explained while Lilly silently ate her meal.

"It's because of me, isn't it?" John asked Duncan.

"She did it for you, yes." Duncan replied.

"We'll leave tomorrow then." Oliver decided.

"How are we going to explain another trip away to the board one week after being back?" Veronica asked Oliver.

"We'll say we're visiting our offices in Russia. We'll be gone a lot less longer anyway. I can get the Bratva to help us, it'll be rather quick. A couple of days, top." Oliver replied.

"Right, your friend." She nodded.

"We'll take the company jet tomorrow. Is Lilly coming with us?" Oliver asked Duncan.

"If it's not a bother, I'd like that, yes." He nodded.

"Not at all. She and I will tour the local Queen Consolidated building while you men break into a Gulag and save Lyla." Veronica smiled.

"You're not even going to try and argue that you can help and that we let you come along?" Duncan asked her, surprised.

"I think the three of you will have in handled, though I'll join if you need help. I understand that the Bratva is not up to date on their women rights, it's a pretty man only group. I wouldn't want to upset them by showing them that I happen to be smarter than them all. It wouldn't work well with ensuring Oliver's place in their group, which is often quite useful." She smiled.

"How reasonable of you." Oliver smiled.

"What can I say, I've grown." Veronica shrugged.

It was decided that Duncan and Lilly would spend the night at Queen's manor with Oliver and Veronica while John went back to his place. Lilly was excited to meet part of Veronica's family and her godmother promised her to take her to Nanda Parbat to meet her new family as soon as she could.

Of course Moira and Thea understood that they had to keep quiet the fact that Duncan and Lilly Kane were in their house, they were still happy to meet them and to have them in their home.

"I just can't wait to hear more about Veronica when she was younger." Thea exclaimed as they all ate cake.

"She never really changed, she remains someone you can always count on when you're in need, even when you've hurt her or disappointed her in the past." Duncan replied.

"And she's right here." Veronica added, a little annoyed.

"Well, we're happy to finally meet you two and know that you're always welcome here. Veronica's family is our family." Moira assured Duncan.

"Thank you." Duncan nodded while Lilly told veronica everything she learned at School with Argus.

Apparently, Lilly learned more than the average subjects for kids her age, she also learned about spying, technologies and anything that could be useful if she decided to become an Argus agent.

"They're teaching the kids of Argus personnel, not to be more practical, but to form the next generation of Argus agent, aren't they?" Veronica asked Duncan later.

"Yes, they are. I was considering pulling Lilly out and putting her in a more normal school, maybe by putting you as her official guardian and by changing her name, but she loves it. She wants to become like you and she thinks that this is the best way. As long as she likes it, I'll let her go. I'll consider her other options when she stops liking it." Duncan replied.

"I see... And did you speak with your mother?"

"And my father, yes. They also spoke with Lilly a bit. Maybe we'll join them this summer for a vacation somewhere, I don't know." He told her.

"They're your parents. Now that you have the opportunity to have them in your life and be safe with Lilly, you shouldn't cut them out completely." She advised him.

"I'll think about it." He smiled.

When Veronica and Oliver went to bed, Duncan went in the kitchen to get a glass of milk. Lilly was already asleep in one of the many guest rooms and he was about to head to bed himself when Thea appeared.

"I want to speak with you about something serious." The youngest Queen woman stated very seriously.

"Okay... What's going on?" He asked her, worried about her seriousness.

"I see the way you look at Veronica. I'm not stupid, I can tell that you still love her and that, deep down, you can see her, Lilly and you as a family, like you were before she helped you leave town after Lilly was born. I understand it but don't. She's happy with my brother, they're good together. She told me that she feels more complete and free with him than she ever had with anyone before in her life. You can't win her back and trying would only hurt her and her relationship with Lilly." Thea stated.

"You don't have anything to worry about Thea. You're right, I still Love Veronica and I probably always will but I can see the way she looks at your brother. She loves him more than she's ever loved anyone, me and Logan included. I can see it. My daughter is my priority now and for that, I've decided many years ago to put my feelings for Veronica aside and to prioritize her relationship with my daughter." Duncan replied.

"So you'll stay away? You won't try to win her back or to break them up?"

"No, I won't, Thea. Veronica is my friend, my daughter's godmother. She's family but I've resigned myself to never be more than that ever again to her. I had my chance to get her back in the past and I let it go. I'll always love her but I'll never tell her so. She'll never know. It would hurt her to think of the fact that I'm hurt." Duncan told her.

"Good. Then it's good to know you and you truly are always welcome here. Have a good night." Thea replied with a smile before she turned around and left him alone.

.

The next morning, everything was ready and they left quickly. Oliver had already contacted his Bratva friend and he was waiting for them at the airport. Their first stop was the hotel, where they settled their bags in their rooms. Then, Veronica took Lilly with her in town and to see the Queen Consolidated building, explaining Oliver's absence by saying that he had gotten sick on the plane, while Oliver, Duncan and John went to plan Lyla's escape with the Bratva.

Veronica and Lilly had lots of fun and they even went shopping together and, when they were done, they went back to the hotel and waited to hear news from Oliver, John and Duncan while enjoying some quiet time together. Around midnight, the men came back, with Lyla safe and sound. Oliver informed Veronica that John allowed Deadshot to leave unharmed because he helped them get to Lyla and to save her.

After that, Veronica and Oliver decided to enjoy being in Russia for a bit and they went for a late night meal together, in town. Oliver's friend had organized it for them in one of the best restaurants in town, happy to show the man who saved his life that he was his friend and that he was always welcome in his town.

"The town's pretty. I hope we can come back soon." She told him.

"So do I." Oliver replied before he kissed her.

"Are you sure you don't mind that we left you out of this one?" He asked her once they were back in their hotel room.

"Not at all, don't worry. I enjoyed spending time with Lilly, plus, I knew that you'd all be safe. I knew it would all work out fine without me. I almost offered to stay in Starling City with Lilly but..." Veronica stopped talking, looking for the right way to say it.

"But?" Oliver asked her, worried.

"I didn't like the thought of spending a couple days away from you. I know it sounds stupid but... I can't imagine not sleeping in your arms anymore." She replied with a slight blush.

"I understand, I feel the same way, Veronica. Now come on, let's get some sleep before our flight back home tomorrow." Oliver told her, hugging her to his side and keeping her there as they walked back to the hotel.

.

"Thanks again for your help Veronica." Duncan told her before he, Lilly and Lyla left.

"I didn't do anything this time." She smiled.

"You were there, you took care of Lilly. She told me that she had lots of fun with you." Duncan shook his head.

"I would have helped save Lyla even if you hadn't asked me. She's important to John, it makes her important to us." Veronica smiled.

"Bye Aunt Veronica, see you soon!" Lilly exclaimed, waving goodbye while Veronica replied.

"You're going to miss her, aren't you?" Oliver asked her as he hugged her from behind.

"I am, but I'll see her again soon. The next time I go spend some time in Nanda Parbat, I'll take her with me. I'm sure she'll love the place." Veronica smiled.

"She's like a mini version of you." Oliver stated.

"Not physically. Physically she's the perfect mixture of her mother and her aunt Lilly." Veronica replied with a nostalgic smile on her face.

"Come on, let's go home. John is going to make sure Lyla gets back safely." he told her, guiding her to the car waiting for them.

They both knew that when John told them he'd make sure Lyla got back safely, he meant that they were going to try and get back together. They shared the same look in their eyes and it was obvious that they still loved each other deeply.

.

After they came back from Russia, life settled back to what was normal for them. For a few weeks, everything went fine. Veronica, Mac and Oliver spent their days at Queen Consolidated and part of their nights fighting crime. John did his thing, Thea took care of the club, Moira worked on her campaign with Walter... Everything went smoothly.

"Shouldn't John be here?" Mac asked as they made their way to their lair under the offices.

"Well, I do find it strange that he hasn't come back after lunch or answered his phone all afternoon." Oliver nodded.

"The GPS on his phone says that he's here. Maybe he's working on something down there." Veronica added before they discovered him, obviously sick, laying on the floor of their lair.

"John!" Mac and Veronica exclaimed as the three of them rushed to get him.

They carried him to the table and got some of his blood quickly before Veronica analysed it, thankful that they had gotten all the necessary equipment for these kind of things.

"It's impossible... I can't believe this." She shook her head.

"What is it?" Mac asked her.

"What's wrong with him?" Oliver asked at the same time.

"He... The analysis... It shows traces of Vertigo..." Veronica replied, checking the results and letting Mac look.

"It's impossible, John would never take Vertigo." Oliver shook his head.

"I know that... Maybe someone slipped him some today?" Veronica suggested.

"Why would they even do that?" Mac asked.

"Maybe Lyla would have an idea as to how he got it?" Oliver suggested.

"No, she's away on mission." Veronica replied.

"I heard him tell that other cute security agent that he was going to get a flue shot from one of the trucks during his lunch break." Mac told them while Veronica typed on the computer.

"I told him not to get it there. I don't trust these free trucks." Veronica shook her head as she looked at her computer screen and did some research.

"He's not the only one who's sick. I have reports from the hospital of more people coming in with flue symptoms and a blood that shows some Vertigo." Veronica informed them as she kept on scrawling through the results.

"We need to find out what these people have in common." Oliver said, knowing Mac and Veronica were already looking for it.

"They live in different part of the city, work in different places... I don't see what they could possibly have in common." Mac stated.

"What about the flue truck? Maybe it's in the vaccination shots." Oliver suggested and he could see a light bulb being turned on in the girls heads as Mac started looking for it.

"It could be it. They all either live or work near the truck's stops." Mac said as the placed everything on the map.

"The Count Vertigo is supposed to be in Jail, how is Vertigo being made and leaked in the vaccination shots?" Veronica asked.

"Maybe he escaped at the same time as the Doll-maker did." Oliver suggested while Mac checked it out.

"Yep. They tried to keep it hidden but he escaped months ago." Mac nodded.

"They seem better at keeping secrets than they are at keeping their worst prisoners inside." Veronica complained.

.

The next couple of days were very tiring for Team Arrow. Thea had agreed to come and help take care of John while they tried to stop Count Vertigo again. He had made a public announcement to reveal that he was indeed behind all of the sick people and that the only way for them to feel better was to take some Vertigo. The cops had no way to look for him, they were too busy arresting dealers, some with the real new version of Vertigo and others with some other drug or fake pills trying to make some more cash thanks to Vertigo.

This Vertigo was new and much worst than the other one and watching John Diggle go through withdrawal, Thea was glad that she had stopped taking drugs when she met Veronica, she would have hated to end up in this state.

Wanting to help, Mac had tried her luck with investigating by looking at one of the vaccination trucks closer while Karma and Arrow were interrogating Vertigo dealers in hope of finding the escaped Count.

"This one was a bust as well Overwatch. Can you lead us to another one?" Veronica asked her friend through their communication devices, unfortunately, her friend didn't answer.

"Overwatch?" Arrow asked.

"It's working on our end. She's just not answering." Karma replied with furred brows.

"Mac? Answer us Mac." Karma demanded.

"Unfortunately your little lady friend is a little busy at the moment." A masculine voice told them using Mac's device.

"What do you want?" Arrow asked in a hard voice.

They didn't bother asking who it was, they both recognized his voice and the way he spoke, they were speaking the Count Vertigo. Already, Veronica was using a laptop hidden on her bike to track Mac by using the signal of her cellphone.

"Well, your little friend , Mac is it? Her ID says Cindy... Anyway she looked at one of my trucks a little too closely. She knows too much and I bet that so do you."

"I asked you want you want Count." Oliver repeated angrily.

He didn't like to knows that a member of his team was in danger, especially not his girlfriend's best friend. Smiling confidently, veronica showed him that mac was at Queen Consolidated and he nodded, jumping on his bike while she jumped on hers. They both started their bikes at the same time and headed as fast as they could toward their day offices.

"I want you of course. You and your little lady friend out of my way, Oliver Queen."

"What?" Oliver asked, surprised.

"It all make sense in a way." The Count said before he revealed how he had figured out that Oliver was Arrow.

Veronica let Oliver speak, she knew that he was trying to win some time. As soon as they arrived, she ran up to Oliver's office where Vertigo had hinted he was waiting. She didn't wait for Oliver, she just ran, knowing that she'd be faster than him this time. Indeed, Oliver had to drive slower than she did so Vertigo didn't hear that he was driving, it had allowed her to get a head start and she was more motivated than ever to stop him before he could hurt Mac.

Sneaking in through the air vent, Veronica knew she wouldn't be able to come inside the room without him hearing her so instead she prepared herself and burst through the office. As soon as she was on the floor, Count Vertigo turned around with Mac in front of him, showing that he had a needle at her throat. Veronica took out her whip immediately and used it on Mac first. She grabbed Mac's feet and knocked her on the floor, surprising the Count who jumped in surprise.

"I heard about your little toy, Karma. I could use with someone like you on my side." He declared.

"Like I'm ever going to consider working with you. You deserve your place in jail. I hope you didn't have any important appointment in the coming days because you're going to have to miss them." She replied angrily while Mac was knocked out on the floor.

"I don't think so." Vertigo replied right at the same time as Karma used her whip to knock the syringe out of his hand.

The small syringe broke on the floor and Karma started to fight him in hand to hand combat before he crawled to Mac and tried injecting her with another syringe while she was knocked out of the way. Oliver arrived at this moment and while he made his way to them, Karma used her whip to hold the count back and ended up chocking him as the weapon wrapped around his throat.

"How is she doing?" Karma asked Arrow.

"She'll be fine, she's just knocked out. How about him? Is he...?" He asked her back.

"No, he's still alive." She replied.

Quickly, they tied Count Vertigo up and injected him with a strong sedative and called the cops. By the time they were done Mac had awoken and they left her with a tied up Vertigo to wait for the cops while they rushed to his new factory, the one Mac had discovered, to stop his production of Vertigo and to destroy it all.

.

It took a few days for everything to get back to normal in Starling City and for everyone affected to be better but eventually, it was all better and Oliver decided to use this opportunity to do the official paperwork making Veronica the one in charge when he couldn't be. He even had his floor remodeled so she could have an office right next to his, with a large double communicating door so they could feel like they were still sharing an office, just like they had been when she spent the day with him at the office before. Now Veronica even had an assistant and she had been able to personalize her office.

Oliver liked having Veronica so close to him all the time. He could also picture their future dog in this office, with a basket between their offices, going from one to the other all day long. He knew that veronica loved it as well. He was surprised that neither of them were tired of the other after spending almost the entire day every day together but he figured it just meant what he already knew: they were made for each other.

Since he had made Veronica's position in his family company official, Oliver also divided their respective task. Veronica supervised mainly Security and the employees, making sure nobody was corrupted and that nobody was stealing the company's ideas and projects. Of course she had other responsibilities and had the power to do anything Oliver did but these were her main responsibilities and she loved it. She could spend her days spying on the employees and making sure they stayed clean. She also had the power to fire the people she discovered weren't honest.

She had already cleaned up most departments of the company, replacing the bad employees with ones that could be trusted.

"So, how do you like your new office?" He asked her.

"I like that you're only a door away and that our computers are linked through a camera so we can be together even when we're in meetings or busy doing other things." She smiled.

"I'm glad you agreed to work here with me." He told her.

"So am I. Spying on a bunch of employees and looking for mysteries waiting to be solved is fun. And making big decisions with you is fun too." She replied before she added:

"Who knew I'd end up enjoying a desk job? My father, Keith, loves this new aspect of my life." She replied.

"I know, he called me to thank me for convincing you to take a desk job." he told her with a smile.

"Miss Mars? The man from the IT department that you asked to see is here." Veronica's assistant declared as she entered the office.

"Let him in." Veronica nodded, putting her mean face on.

"I'll let you work, honey. I think I have a phone call to return." he smiled.

* * *

 _I'm not completely happy with this chapter... I might rewrite it later._

 _Review please?_

 _Lorelei Candice Black_


	18. 3 angry Veronicas

**_Three Angry Veronica_**

* * *

It was a normal day in Starling city.

Nyssa and Sara had just visited Veronica and spent the weekend with her, informing her that Raz was planning on coming in a couple of weeks, before going back home to Nanda Parbat and Veronica was perfectly happy, feeling like she had everything she wanted in her life. Her father, Keith, was even planning on visiting her in a few weeks and together they'd go to Nanda Parbat so he could meet her other father and her sister. Keith and Veronica had had a long talk and Keith wanted to meet the man who had fathered Veronica and had welcomed her in his life this late in her life.

Veronica and Oliver had worked all day together, in perfect harmony as always at Queen Consolidated, they had breakfast with Moira, lunch with Roy and Thea, dinner with Laurel and Tommy, stopped a couple of bad guys as Arrow and Karma and then went home to find that, once again, Moira had waited up for them. She knew that they could handle themselves but she couldn't help but feel worried every time they were out. After that, they both went to bed, made love and cuddled before falling asleep while wishing for everyday to be similar to this one.

The next morning, everything started just as perfectly as the previous day had. Veronica and Oliver went to the office where they had a Board meeting to attend. The meeting was just over and everyone was very satisfied with the outcome of it when Veronica's assistant rushed in and insisted that Veronica needed to answer her cell phone, that her friend Wallace really needed to speak with her and that he said it was urgent. Surprised and curious at the worry on their CEO's face, the board members stayed behind, pretending to gather some papers that were spread on the table, to find out what it was all about.

"Wallace, what's going on? Now's not exactly the best time." Veronica asked him as soon as he answered.

"Veronica, it's Keith. He's in a coma. He was hit by a car a few hours ago while working on uncovering the corruption at the sheriff's department. Sacks and Norris were with him. Sacks is dead and Norris is mostly fine since he was out of the car, getting them all coffees. He's the one who told me what they were doing exactly but he hasn't told anyone else. He just has a broken foot because the truck that hit their car tried to go back for him but he was faster and managed to get out of the way, mostly. You need to come V. Lamb is trying to tell everyone that the three of them were dirty and that they were simply run over by the people they screwed over. I'm sorry V." Wallace told her in a rushed voice.

"Where is he? In Neptune's hospital?" She asked him in a blank voice.

"Yes, and he's not alone. Either Norris, me or Weevil are always with him. We don't let in people we don't trust completely. My mom and Cliff are the only ones we let in so far." Wallace replied.

"I'll be there as soon as I can." She told him before she hung up.

"Who's at the hospital Veronica?" Oliver asked her, not liking to see the distress on her face.

"My father, he's in a coma." She told him before she told him everything that Wallace had told her.

"The two of you should go, the company will be fine until you get back." A member of the board assured them immediately.

"We'll have our phones and internet." Oliver nodded before he led Veronica back to their offices to get their things and called John to drive them back home.

On the way back to the Queen's house, Veronica was very quiet and Oliver knew how angry she must feel right now. He quickly texted Mac, Laurel, Tommy, Thea and his mother to warn them of what was going on.

"What's on your mind my Love?" he asked her in a small voice.

"I'm angry obviously and I don't know if I should go back to Neptune as Veronica Mars, Karma or Raz Al Ghul's daughter, Heir to the demon. I want them all to pay and I feel like I'm even angrier than I should be. I have three identities now and all three of them are super angry and want revenge and justice in different ways. I don't know which one to be and how to act." She confessed.

"Do you want me to warn your father, ask him to send a few men over to help? You know he will." He suggested.

"Thanks." She nodded, knowing that in Neptune, anything could happen.

Taking his phone out, Oliver dialed the only number they had to reach the League and left a message for Raz, explaining the situation and telling him where they would be for the next few days, maybe even longer.

Once they arrived at the house, planning on packing quickly and leaving just as quickly, Moira and Thea had just arrived and were waiting for them, hoping to show Veronica some support and to help any way they could.

"Do you want me to come along?" Thea asked her heart sister.

"I'd love your company and your support Thea but I don't want you stepping foot in this town if you have a choice. It's poisoned. Who knows what would happen to you there... I'll be happier knowing you're here in town, working at the club." Veronica shook her head with a small smile.

"If you want us to come, all you'll have to do is ask, alright?" Moira told Veronica and Oliver who nodded.

"Thank you Moira, I appreciate it but you should concentrate on your campaign. It's important too. Right now the city needs you more than I do." Veronica replied while she hugged her boyfriend's mother, taking the closure she needed and knew her mother would never give her.

"I'm always here, Veronica. That's what family is for." The mayoral candidate smiled kindly.

.

Less than 2 hours after finding out what was going on, Oliver and Veronica were taking the company jet to go to Neptune, with John accompanying them. They had planned to stay in Keith's home, hoping it would help them find clues as to what her father was doing with Sacks and who had motives to hurt them.

"How do you want to handle this once we arrive?" Oliver asked her on the way.

"Veronica wants to see her father, Karma wants to start investigating immediately and... Raz's daughter... wants to kill everyone she suspects of being involved. Which is something considering I've never killed anyone in my life." She confessed honestly.

"Well, why don't we do what Veronica wants first, then we'll let Karma investigate with Arrow and only after that we'll deal with whoever is responsible, would that be okay with all three Veronicas?" he asked her with a small smile at the way she had explained things.

"I think so." She smiled back at him, loving that he understood her and knew her so well and that he had come with her.

.

When they arrived at the hospital, Wallace was at some meeting in school and Weevil was sitting with her father while his daughter was looking at a picture book. They greeted each other and Weevil left the room with his daughter, making Veronica promise to call if she needed help finding the people responsible for this and making them pay. Keith Mars had always been fair with him and his boys and they all wanted to help in some way. None of them believed what the sheriff was trying to sell.

While Veronica and Oliver were at the hospital, visiting Keith, John went to check if Mars Investigation had been broken in or not. He'd check it out with the key Veronica had given him and go right back to the hospital. They'd look more into it later but they wanted to be able to prepare themselves if it had been broken in.

"He looks so small in this bed..." She shook her head.

"He's still in his coma Miss Mars. We don't know if or when he'll wake up. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this Miss but his condition his extremely serious. He's lucky to have even made it this far." A nurse said before she explained to Veronica everything that was wrong with her father.

"Maybe we can take him to the Lazarus pit." Oliver told Veronica once the nurse had left the room.

"He can't be moved right now, it would kill him instantly. We have to wait. We can't bring the pit to him because Raz told me that the water from the pit looses its properties soon after being taken out of it and we can't transport him there... There's nothing we can do for him." She replied.

They stayed a couple of hours before they left John to watch over Keith and drove to his house where they found the door opened but not broken in. They were about to barge in, ready to fight whoever was inside when Nyssa stepped out of the shadows.

"Calm down Little one. You didn't think that we'd let you face this alone, did you sister?" Nyssa asked with a smile before Veronica, suddenly relieved, rushed in her arms and hugged her.

"You came! I'm so glad you're here..." Veronica whispered while her sister hugged her back, knowing her sister needed comfort.

"Of course we came. We broke in to wait inside, we didn't want to raise suspicions with the neighbors." Nyssa replied.

"We? You mean Sara came with you?" Oliver asked.

"No, Sara went to Starling city to keep your city safe with your friend Mac while you were away." Nyssa replied before another voice said:

"She was speaking about me. My daughter asked for help, I had to come. Especially since someone went after her father. They might as well have attacked the League." Raz Al Ghul himself was standing in the door way and Veronica couldn't help herself, she left her sister's arms to hug her father, who hugged her back.

Not willing to get people's attention, they all went inside and closed the door behind them. That's when Veronica noticed about 15 League members in her father's little house. They were standing quietly in the shadows and she couldn't see their faces. She didn't know if they were some of the ones she had talked to during her first visit their but she didn't care. She was glad that they had come to help her.

Veronica didn't expect to feel this relieved to have her father and sister with her. She knew that she wasn't alone because Oliver and John were with her, because Mac kept on asking for updates and because all she had to do was ask to have Moira and Thea fly into town but this was her blood family. The League of Assassins. They were there for her, to back her up, to help her.

Quickly, Oliver explained to them what they knew so far.

"So, what is your plan, Veronica?" Raz asked her

"I was planning on going through the house and his office to look for clues about who could have done this to him. Norris is going to come over in about 30 minutes to tell us what he knows but he only just recently joined my father and Sacks on their investigation so he might not know much. He didn't want to say anything on the phone in case it had been bugged and I understood. In this town, you never know." She replied.

"Or he might hold back information to protect his boss if he's working for the sheriff and he's the one behind this." Nyssa suggested.

"No, that's not his style. He has a strong mind and knows what's right. He won't betray my father." She shook her head.

"Good then. He's the one you told us about, right? The one you said could be interested in the League?" Raz asked her.

"Yes. If he hasn't changed Nanda Parbat would be heaven for him." She nodded.

"Then we won't hide our presence and maybe, once this is all over, we'll even offer him to join us." He decided.

"I... Would it be possible for a few of them to go and protect my father? John could be useful while searching through my father's things..." Veronica asked her father.

"They're your men Veronica. At least for now. You can give them any order you like." Raz smiled.

Thankful for this power, Veronica noticed that Sarab, the one who used to be Maseo, was among the men her father had brought and so she asked him to chose two men and to go take over to keep her father safe so that John could come back to help them here. Sarab nodded and Oliver called John to warn him. Before he left, Veronica showed Sarab pictures of Norris, Weevil, Wallace, his mother and Cliff, insisting that they were the only people that were allowed to visit her father outside of hospital staff.

"I'll go and protect him myself as soon as I've met this Norris. We won't leave his side until he wakes up, Veronica." Raz promised her.

"Thank you, father. I'm very happy that you've come." She smiled while Nyssa looked at an old framed picture of a 6 years old Veronica playing on the beach with a little smile.

"As soon as he is stable enough, we'll take him to the pit to heal him. In his condition, the pit would only take his life and replace it with one of a demon. We'd have to do a soul restoration later." Raz explained to his daughter.

"He can't be moved anyway. Moving him would kill him right away." She nodded.

A few minutes after Sarab left with his men, Norris knocked on the door and was greeted by Nyssa who let him in.

"Veronica, I'm so sorry... We had no way of knowing someone was unto us... Maybe it's because I joined them, maybe it raised some attention... Someone might have noticed that I was suddenly spending time with them." Norris told Veronica, speaking quickly and not reacting to the League members behind her, acting as though it was normal.

"You have nothing to feel bad about Norris. My father knew what he was getting into, he still did it because it was what was right for the town. You remember Oliver? I think you met him at the High School reunion. This is my sister Nyssa and this... This is my biological father, long story, Raz Al Ghul. Head to the demon, leader of the League of assassins." Veronica replied, introducing the young deputy to her father.

"The League's real? I heard rumors about it once or twice but I thought it was just a tale... It's an honor to meet you sir." Norris said, obviously impressed and happy to be able to meet the legendary man.

"When this is all over, if you prove worthy like Veronica thinks, we'll offer you a place in our league. Veronica mentioned that it might be something you'd be interested in." Raz nodded.

Norris nodded and they all sat down before the young man told them everything he knew of Keith's investigation, which wasn't much since it was only his third meeting with the two men and so far he only helped them get files and placed trackers under several patrol cars. He didn't know where Keith hid his files, but he knew that he had several copies hidden everywhere.

Veronica suddenly turned to one League member and asked him:

"Can you go to my father's bedroom please? Look for a box with _Playboy_ written on it. It would look old and about to break." The man nodded and left quickly to do as she asked, then she turned to another one and told him:

"Go in my bedroom and look for a bright pink plastic box with _girl stuff_ written on it." He nodded as well and left to look for it.

"What are you thinking?" Oliver asked her.

"The first box, the _playboy_ one, is where my father used to hide the case files he didn't want me to look into, Like when he was investigating Lilly's murder. I always ended up figuring out the code to open the safe so he had to find other ways to hide what he didn't want me to find. The _girl stuff_ one was where I kept what I didn't want him to look into. I showed it to him before I moved out and he kept it as a souvenir. He might have used one of these." She explained.

"It would make everything easier." Norris nodded.

"Do you think Sacks might have had something too?" She asked him.

"No, they told me that only Keith had them because Sacks pretended he was friends with Lamb. He kept some copies and put others in a safe place, but I don't know which one." Norris shook his head before Veronica's phone rang.

"It's Cliff, I have to answer." She told them.

"Who's Cliff?" Nyssa asked Norris and Oliver.

"Her father's best friend and the closest thing she has to an uncle. He's always been there for them, loyal to their family, no matter what." Oliver replied.

"He's also the town's most famous public attorney. He's not the best at his job but he's connected enough to get his clients out of trouble. He was helping Keith, as much as he could. He's been by the hospital twice a day since the accident." Norris added.

Veronica came back a few minutes later:

"I texted him earlier that we just got in town and he only got back to me now because he was working. Dad told him everything about you being my real father, he can be trusted. He's coming over with pizzas to help us. He might know something." Veronica told them.

"Do you think your father would have told him something?" Oliver asked her.

"Cliff works hard to keep his current bad reputation but it's to better surprise people. He's super loyal to my father and would take his secrets to the grave. I know it. If my father told him something, he'll tell me but nobody else, even if he has to go to jail because of it." Veronica declared confidently.

"Did you warn him that we were so many?" Oliver asked her.

"Yes, don't worry. He'll bring enough for everyone." She nodded.

"John is on his way as well. I'll text him to stop by the store and to grab some drinks." Oliver told her after looking at his phone.

"Yes, I don't think dad has enough for everyone in the fridge." She nodded before she stood up and went to check it out, followed with Nyssa who wanted to help her bring the beers, sodas and snacks they could find.

"I'm glad you came Nyssa. I feel better knowing you're here." Veronica told her sister before she opened the fridge to see what her father had in there, which wasn't much.

"Of course. You're my sister, I'll always be there when you need me." Nyssa smiled.

Smiling back, Veronica took every drink her father had in the fridge and gave them to her sister before she looked through the cupboards and found some peanuts, cookies and some chips bag. Together, they brought everything in the living room to feed the league and her friends. They were about to spend a while looking through files, they needed fuel.

They waited a few minutes and just when John and Cliff arrived, at the same time, the two league members reentered the room with the boxes Veronica had asked for. They had been well hidden in the bedrooms but they did hold a lot of papers in them.

As it turned out, Cliff wasn't coming empty-handed. He had a bright and sparkly pink suitcase with him, full of files. He told them that Keith had asked him to keep it safe and to give it to Veronica only if something happened to him. Veronica smiled when she saw the girly suitcase and knew that her father had chosen it because people would never suspect important files to be in there.

"Well, I guess we have our work cut out for us." Veronica shook her head.

"Maybe the rest of my men here should patrol the town and try to find more information from the town's people. They're not exactly the administrative type." Raz suggested.

"Good idea." Veronica nodded before the men grabbed a few slices of pizzas and left to try and find out who could have done this to Keith Mars.

Veronica showed them a map of the town, advising them to check out the Fitzpatrick's and their bar, the worst part of the PCH as well as the places where teenagers usually hung out. She also pointed out the clubs and places most likely to help them find people that will talk.

As soon as they left, the real work begun. Keith had hidden the real pieces of evidence among a lot of other paperwork, unimportant or boring. Bills for everything and anything hiding the ones they wanted. Pictures of Veronica growing up hiding surveillance pictures of city officials, transcripts of some of Lamb's conversations, along with the disc they were on...

Slowly, over the night, they managed to uncover enough evidence to know who to talk to to get their answers and to get justice.

"There's something else I could do... I could ask Jake Kane for help." Veronica announced.

"How could he help us?" Nyssa asked her as she served everyone a cup of hot coffee.

"He's an important member of a secret organisation. Every new member has to confess something dark they did in the past and I kind of ended up with the hard drive everything was on. I gave it back to him but I kept a copy... or several. Jake Kane knows it and I could use that to get his help." Veronica suggested.

"What if they're behind it?" Oliver asked.

"Then he'll lie, I'll know it and I'll make him pay." She declared.

"We'll go and meet him then. It's 9 am, we could leave now." Oliver nodded.

"It might be best if I go alone. I don't want him to know that you know about this." She replied.

"Alright. I'll go with John and Nyssa try to get some of the evidence we need to end this. Be safe though." Oliver agreed, knowing that she was right.

"I'll go and watch over your father Veronica. I'll send Sarab your way. He'll wait for your orders once you're done with Jake Kane." Raz suggested.

Cliff had left a couple of hours ago to shower, change and get to work (he had a stripper to get out of jail). Norris had an appointment at the hospital to check on his broken foot and so he left with Raz.

.

Veronica walked with confidence into Kane Software and told the receptionist that she was here to see Jake Kane and that he would see her if he knew what was good for him. The young woman at the desk started to snob Veronica and to laugh, which only angered Veronica.

"My name is Veronica Mars, yes, _that_ Veronica Mars. I'm on the board of Queen Consolidated, second in charge actually and I know personally Jake Kane. I came back in town because my father is in a coma and I have very limited patience right now. Now if you don't want me to get on your case, you'll call Mister Kane's assistant and tell her who's here and insist that he gets the message immediately. Trust me, you don't want to anger me anymore than I already am." Veronica snapped.

Looking doubtful, the receptionist took her phone and called Clarence Wiedman's assistant, pretending it was Jake's.

"Yes, a Miss Veronica Mars is here demanding to speak with Mister Kane. She doesn't have an appointment but she insists." She spoke, knowing that the head of security would know what to do.

"He'll be right here. You can wait over there." She then told Veronica, pointing to metal chairs on the side.

Veronica could guess that Jake wasn't the one on his way but she decided to wait and see what would happen. A few minutes later, Clarence appeared, looking as strict and dangerous as she remembered, except that now, she knew that she could take him in a fight and that she had the real power.

"Veronica Mars, I didn't know you were back in town." He told her with what was probably supposed to be a smile.

"With my father in that condition, I couldn't stay away. I need to speak with Jake Kane, now." She replied.

"I'll take you there. He's in a meeting right now but he'll be available in a few minutes if you can wait." he informed her.

"I'll wait." She nodded.

About an hour later Jake arrived and motioned for Veronica to follow him in his office.

"What can I do for you today Veronica?" He asked her.

"I want to know if you and your little secret society had anything to do with what happened to my father and know that if I find out later that you lied to me, I will make you pay. I will eventually find the truth, I'm only giving you the chance to come clean now." She declared.

"Right into business I see. Working alongside Oliver Queen at Queen Consolidated hasn't thought you diplomacy, has it?" He replied, amused.

"The situation doesn't call for diplomacy right now." She snapped.

"I'm sorry about your father Veronica. I know better than to buy the lies Lamb is trying to sell but I had nothing to do with it. We decided to stay away from this town's corruption after your last visit in town and the little parting gift you gave us. When Lamb was elected, he did come to me to try and get my support, claiming I'd get a say-so in important decisions if I did. He thought I'd go for it because I kind of worked with his brother. I told him that I wanted to stay out of it, that I wasn't interested anymore." Jake replied.

"And I'm supposed to believe you?" Veronica asked him.

"Yes. Listen Veronica, I know that we haven't gotten along since Lilly died but I do respect you. You have morals and stand by them, even after everything we did to you and your family, you gave Celeste and I the chance to speak with Duncan and Lilly. I know that I owe you. I know that you're not going to stop until you've clear and avenged your father but these are dangerous people you're going after. I don't know who took the decision to kill your father and Deputy Sacks and who drove the truck but I have an idea as to who you might want to ask. If I tell you, promise me you'll be careful." Jake told her.

"I won't go after them on my own. I have back-up. Starling City vigilante Arrow and Karma promised to be there to help me as soon as I knew who did it." Veronica informed him, not completely lying and not making a promise she'd end up breaking.

"You could talk to Petra Landros, the owner of the Neptune Grand. She's the head of Neptune's Chamber of Commerce and I know she works with the sheriff to keep off the streets of the city center the people she thinks could ruin her business, meaning anyone who flirts with the poverty line."

"You think she could have gone after my father?" Veronica asked him.

Of course the sheriff's numerous arrests of the poorer citizens of Neptune was why Keith started his investigation in the first place.

"Be careful Veronica. Now if you'll excuse me I have a meeting I can't miss." he replied with a small nod before Veronica got up and left.

.

Raz sat next to Keith Mars, hoping the man who had raised his daughter would wake up and be better soon. Suddenly, a black man about Veronica's age entered the room. He recognized him from one of the photos he had been shown as Wallace Fennel.

"Hi! You're V's other father, aren't you? I'm Wallace." He introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you." Raz replied as kindly as he could.

"I just came between two classes to check on him. I won't be able to stop by tonight, big meeting at school." He explained.

"No changes so far." Raz replied.

Wallace stayed a few more minutes before he left and Raz went back to thinking and hoping. Family was important to him and Veronica had given him a new hope. Her father, the man who had raised her, deserved his protection.

A sudden move on the bed caught his attention and he saw Keith Mars opening an eye and, slowly, moving a hand.

"Keith Mars, don't worry, you're safe. You're in the hospital. I'm Raz Al Ghul." Raz declared when Keith turned his head to look at him.

"Veronica's other father." Keith replied in a low voice.

"Yes. Let me call a doctor and tell them you're awake." Raz was about to stand up but Keith stopped him.

"No. Later."

"Why?" Raz asked.

"I want to talk to you, now."

"We can talk once you're better." Raz insisted.

"Please." Keith replied pleadingly.

"Very well." The leader of the League of assassins nodded, not willing to contract a man who might still be in danger of death.

"I don't think I'm better and it's okay. Please promise me to look after Veronica. She looks strong but she still needs protection every once in a while. Don't let her mother come back in her life, ever. Leanne never did anything good for Veronica beside giving birth to her. Make sure she's happy and that she's not afraid to be happy and to make the decisions that will make her happy." Keith told him, speaking slowly.

"I will, you have my word." Raz nodded.

"I know her enough to know that right now she's looking for the person to blame for my accident. If she can't be back before it's too late, don't let her feel guilty. Tell her I love her and that I just want her to be happy. I believe in her and couldn't be prouder." Keith said and Raz nodded.

"The League and I will ensure her safety and I'll personally make sure she leads a happy life." Raz nodded.

"I'm glad she has you." Keith told Raz before closing his eyes.

At first, it looked like he had closed them temporarily, to rest, but the many machines around him started beeping and a group of medical staff entered the room, rushing Raz out. Understanding that it might be the end for Keith mars, Raz called Veronica and told her to come to the hospital immediately before he did the same thing with Oliver.

.

As it turned out, Keith had some internal bleeding they hadn't found and it had killed him. While Cliff and Wallace took care of organizing the funeral, Veronica followed the clues they had and with the League's help, managed to find evidence that Lamb himself had ordered a truck to hit her father and Sacks, thinking it would clear him from their suspicions.

Angrier than ever, Veronica made sure that Lamb and anyone who ever helped him was exposed and humiliated publicly. In the newspaper, on TV, on the radio and on the internet, evidence of the town's corruption was everywhere and soon, Lamb was fired, along with several other people. Knowing that it wasn't enough of a punishment for the man to just lose his job and that Keith would want for Veronica to keep her innocence and not to kill anyone, Raz, Nyssa and Sarab went with Oliver and Veronica to see him in his apartment one night and Raz killed him: the only punishment that was right for someone who had hurt his daughter this way.

Veronica wanted to be the one to kill him but she understood that it was her anger speaking and that, if they had let her do it, she would have ended up regretting her action. For the time being, she was glad she had Oliver, her father and Nyssa by her side. The other members of the League had left already but Raz and Nyssa stayed for the funeral.

Of course, Mac, Laurel, Tommy, Moira and Thea made it as well. They wanted to be there for Veronica and understood all too well the pain she was going through.

A lot of people were present and Veronica was thankful for everyone's presence and support. Veronica wasn't angry anymore, she had managed to make peace with it. Raz was on her right, Oliver on her left. She was surrounded by people who loved her and she knew that Keith mars had loved her and been proud of her and of the life she led. he wanted her to be happy to do what made her happy and it was exactly the life she led presently. Knowing that he truly supported her made her happy.

.

After the funeral, Veronica, Moira, Thea and Oliver stayed a few more days to take care of Keith's belongings. Veronica sold the office and the house, donated most of his things to goodwill or some of his friends and took a truck full of memories and old things with her.

Veronica cried a lot during the sorting process and was thankful for her family's presence around her. She visited her father and Lilly's graves before she left town and promised herself not to cry anymore after that. Her father wouldn't want that, she needed to be strong and, surrounded by so many people who loved her, she knew that she could do it.

* * *

 _ **Another chapter... A sad one. I know some of you will hate it but please stay with this story.**_

 _ **Review please?**_

 _ **Lorelei Candice Black**_


	19. Mira Kuru

**_Mira Kuru_**

* * *

Going back to Starling city after her father's funeral had been like waking up from a nightmare. Veronica had been thankful for her friends' presence by her side when she sorted through all of her father's things and she had appreciated the fact that they had known when to leave her alone as well. She was especially grateful for Oliver who stuck by her side the entire time, even when she wasn't very good company and had felt like hitting everything that came near her.

As soon as they arrived in town, Veronica rented a storage unit to place everything she had brought back from Neptune. She'd sort through it all and decide what to do with it later. She had given some things away to her father's friends, given some to charity and packed everything she thought she might want some day. She didn't want to look through it right now but she knew she would some day so she kept it all.

"How are you feeling?" Thea asked Veronica as soon as she stepped in the Queen's family home.

"I'm planning on tasering the next person who asks me how I'm feeling." Veronica replied with humor, tired of being asked the same question over and over again ever since she learned that Keith had had an accident a few days ago.

"Sorry. But you're okay, right?" Thea asked her.

"I will be. Don't worry." Veronica told her as she hugged her before she joined Oliver in their bedroom to empty their bags and change clothe before they went to the office.

"I'm surprised Laurel and Tommy came to Keith's funeral. I didn't think they'd have the time. Especially Laurel, I know she's on a big case right now." She told him once the door was closed.

"I know, but she wanted to be there for you, her friend. She knows you'd be there for her if roles were reversed." Oliver replied.

"Don't you think we should tell her about Karma and Arrow? She's the only one in our closed circle of friends and family who doesn't know and it doesn't really seem fair. We both know that she'd keep the secret." Veronica argued.

"I know, but I don't know how she'll react to the truth..." He shook his head.

"Well, why don't we both think about it? We'll make a decision later." She suggested.

"Good idea honey. Now, I don't want to be tasered so I won't ask how you're feeling but if you want to stay here and rest or if you feel sad, you know you can talk to me, right?" He asked her, taking her in his arms.

"I know. And I love you. But right now I think going to the office will make me feel better."

"Alright then, a dose of normalcy it is. Let's go." He nodded.

.

As soon as Veronica and Oliver arrived at Queen Consolidated, they were told that someone had broken into the applied sciences department during the night and that they needed to meet with the cops immediately. They met up with Detective Lance and quickly toured the place to see the damages before a young man who introduced himself as a CSI from Central City named Barry Allen told them that he was investigating something similar and could help them. As soon as he was introduced to veronica, he started acting like he knew her.

Apparently, he had read about a lot of her past cases and articles she had written in the past. He seemed to know a lot about her and acted as though he was in the presence of his favorite actress.

"I think he's lying when he says that he's investigating something similar but he's telling the truth when he says that he can help us." Veronica whispered to Oliver.

"Do we trust him to help then or not?" He asked her, knowing that her instinct int his was flawless.

"We trust him." She replied.

At this point, Mac arrived to bring them the surveillance footage and so Veronica asked her to help Barry in his investigation and asked of them to bring them everything they found.

Right after Lance left, Barry explained to them how the thief had been alone and super strong. He showed them how he could tell from the evidence left behind and of course Mac's surveillance footage showed that he was right.

"It shouldn't be hard to get a name now that I have a picture of his face." Mac told them.

"Why would they need a centrifuge though?" Veronica asked.

"I don't know but in this town, it can't be good." Oliver shook his head.

"Now before the two of you go... Barry, I'm pretty good at telling when someone's lying to me and I know that you lied when you said that your captain sent you here because you were working on a similar case. I also know that you were telling the truth when you said you could help us. Before we let you help, we need to know why you lied and why you want to help us so badly at the risk of being in trouble with your captain." Veronica stated.

"I guess that's why you were such a great PI. When I was a kid, my mother was murdered and everyone thinks it was my father. It happened in the middle of the night, I came down because I heard noises and saw a man in a yellow blur moving very fast around my mother. Next thing I knew, I was standing in the middle of the next street, away from my house. I know it sounds impossible and nobody believed me. They all thought I was lying to try and innocent my father. The impossible killed my mother and ever since I've been chasing leads about impossible cases, hoping one day I'd find the truth about the man who killed my mother." Barry replied, hoping they would believe him.

"You think the man who stole this might be linked to your mother's murder?" Oliver asked him.

"No, but it sounds impossible and maybe, one day, while chasing one impossible story, I'll end up discovering something that will help me free my father. Legally I mean. But I'd still like to help you." Barry replied.

"Alright. Mac will show you where you can settle. If you really help us and show that you're trustworthy, maybe I'll look into it and try to see if I can find something to help you prove your father's innocence." Veronica replied, touched by this guy's story.

"Really? You'd help me? **You** , Veronica Mars? That's great! I mean, not that you got robbed, but the fact that it helped me meet you and that you offered to help me with this... It's... " Barry started babbling and Veronica cut him off with an amused smile:

"Why don't you follow Mac for now."

Barry nodded and he followed Mac away with the samples they wanted to test.

"He sounds like a fan boy." Oliver whispered to her.

"Jealous?" She asked him, amused.

"Nah, I have no reasons to be." He smiled back.

He knew that when she said ' _maybe_ ', she'd look in this case, because she loved a good mystery and he could already see that she wanted to help Barry Allen.

.

In the middle of afternoon, Barry and Mac came back in Veronica's office with the identity of the thief and the location where he could be hiding. Barry was about to go and give it to the cops but Veronica intervened and told him that she'd take care of it. Then, she distracted him by asking Mac to take him out for some dinner on the company's account, which she was all too happy to do.

"Cyrus Gold. That name sounds made up." Veronica commented while she and Oliver got dressed up as Karma and Arrow.

"Maybe it is, right now I'm more worried about catching him. He was able to carry that centrifuge on his own, we'll need to be careful tonight." He told her.

"I know." She nodded, looking grave, before John informed her that he was going to go with them in the truck, just in case they needed back-up.

.

Going after Cyrus Gold without a well thought out plan had been a bad idea.

Karma and Arrow had been lucky that John had decided to come along, he had been able to carry them to the truck and drive them back to their lair once they had been hurt. Veronica was mostly hurt in the legs and couldn't walk much for now, though she knew it would be better after some rest but Oliver had tried to protect her from their enemy and had taken most of the blows. Knowing that they couldn't take him to the hospital, she allowed Mac and John to get Barry Allen, tell him the truth and let him heal her love.

Of course, Barry was very excited to find out who his favorite heroes were but he managed to act professionally until Oliver was well enough to stand on his own.

"I hope I wasn't wrong in putting our trust in you Barry. You need to keep this secret." Veronica warned him.

"Yeah, of course. Don't worry about that." He replied before he started throwing ideas to improve their outfits.

A few hours later, Mac called them all to warn them that more blood had been stolen from the blood bank.

"By the grave look on your face, this means something special to you." Veronica told Oliver.

"When I think about this and everything else that's happened lately, I can only see one reason to link it all... Someone is trying to make Mira Kuru, the serum I injected Slade with back on the island." Oliver told her, knowing that John, Mac and Barry could ear as well and would need more explanations than Veronica because they didn't know as much as she did about his past on the island.

"That's bad... We need to find out who it could be and why they're doing it. We need to stop them before whoever is doing this manages to mass produce the serum and destroys this city, if not more." Veronica shook her head before she went on the computer to try and look for answers while Oliver told them everything they didn't know.

.

Thea was worried.

Roy had just been done donating blood and was on his way to the club but he hadn't arrived yet and it had been 3 hours. Roy was never late to work or to meet up with her and she was getting worried. Very worried.

"Hey Veronica, I know that you and Oliver are a bit busy with what's happening in town but... I'm worried for Roy. He's 3 hours late and not answering his phone." Thea announced as soon as Veronica answered the phone.

"Roy's missing?" Veronica asked before she put the phone on speaker so that Oliver, John, Barry and Mac could hear her.

"Yes. He was supposed to donate some blood and he called me right after, telling me he was done and on the way back. It was over 3 hours ago." Thea explained.

"Maybe he ran into someone on the way back." Oliver suggested.

"No, he would have found a way to warn me. It's not like him to act this way." Thea replied and they could all hear the deep worry in her voice.

"Okay, I'll look into it, Thea, don't worry. We'll find out what happened." Veronica told Thea to reassure her before she hung up.

Immediately, Veronica started trying to locate his cellphone.

"If he's not answering, his phone might be off or out of battery, you won't be able to locate him." Barry stated.

"I placed a tracker in all of our phones. Moira, Roy, Thea, Laurel, Tommy... They all have trackers in their phones." Veronica replied.

"I guess it's a good thing you're always ready for anything that could happen." Oliver said before he kissed her in the neck.

"Barry, are we both good to go?" Veronica asked their new friend as soon as she had a location.

"Well, I know better than to tell you two to stay put but with the injections you both had, I guess you're good to go as long as you rest later." Barry nodded.

"Good, let's go then. Thanks Barry." Oliver nodded as he and Veronica stepped into the dressing room to change into their hero outfits.

.

This time, they used the same motorcycle, Arrow's, and drove as fast as they could. They had a bad feeling about this. Indeed, they had heard of a few other young men that had been found dead. It had been declared an overdose and the one thing they had in common was that they were blood donor. Laurel had told them about it over dinner a few days ago, friends of the victims had told her that they didn't believe their friends had done drugs because they donated blood regularly.

They were afraid that Roy might be the next one on the list and they wanted to arrive before it was too late.

They entered the building as quietly as possible and arrived as a man in a skull mask injected Roy with something. Karma immediately used her whip to knock the syringe out of the man's hand but it was too late, it had been injected in Roy. Not willing to get caught, the man in the skull mask threw a smoke grenade in their direction and used the distraction to make his exit.

"Roy! Roy wake up!" Veronica called out, trying to make him open his eyes.

"It's Mira Kuru. They made Mira Kuru and injected him with it." Oliver realized when he saw the blood running from Roy's eyes.

"Why isn't he waking up? Is he going to die too?" She asked him.

"The serum takes time. It will either kill him or change him, we can't know yet. Either way we won't know right away." Oliver shook his head sadly.

"I'll call Thea to reassure her, you call John and ask him to come with the van. We'll take Roy back to the lair and see what we can do." Veronica decided.

"Take the empty syringe, maybe there is some Mira Kuru left inside that we can analyse or something." Oliver suggested and Veronica nodded.

.

Once they took Roy back to their lair and took some of his blood to analyze it, they decided to wait until he was awake and that they were sure he wasn't working with the man in the skull mask before they told him who they were. They'd keep an eye on him until then and make sure he was fine and in control. So far, he seemed to be stable and they believed that he would survive.

"I called Thea and told her we'd keep her informed." Veronica told Oliver.

"I think Roy's going to be fine. He'd be dead already if he wasn't going to make it, we should probably drop him off at his place and wait with him there to explain what happened to him." Oliver replied.

"You're right. You go with him as Arrow and I'll go stay with Thea until Roy can call her." Veronica smiled.

Oliver kissed her before he carried an unconscious Roy back to the boy's home.

.

Barry left town the next day, eager to go back to Central City in time to see the particle accelerator being turned on. Before he left, he worked on new and improved masks for Arrow and Karma, something the two heroes were grateful for.

Mac, who had gotten close to Barry during his stay with them, had asked for a few days off to go with him. She really wanted to see the particle accelerator being turned on and, as she told Veronica, she wanted to see scientific history being made. She had planned on staying only a couple of days but, when the particle accelerator exploded and Barry went into a coma, she stayed in Central city a couple of weeks to try and wait for him to wake up or at least be there for him and his family, Jo and Iris West.

After one week, Barry was transferred into Star Labs, who believed they could help him and monitor his changes better. There, she became friends with Caitlin Snow and Cisco Ramon. She even got to meet one of her personal hero: Harrison Wells. Despite her worry for her friend, Mac enjoyed her stay in Central City and knew that she'd keep in touch with her new friends.

.

While Mac was away, watching over Barry Allen and keeping in touch with them, Veronica and Oliver had come to a decision: They were going to tell Laurel about their true identities. At first, Oliver wanted to wait for a while but Tommy came to them, informing them both that Laurel was often putting herself in danger.

"She came home with bruises yesterday and the cases she takes on are more and more dangerous. She investigates dangerous cases because she feels the need to be like the vigilantes. I mean, she didn't say it like that but I know that's why she does it." Tommy explained to them.

Tommy had been working out with Oliver a few times a week. He had agreed to play Arrow one night, so that Arrow and Karma could be seen in the same place, at the same time, as Oliver Queen and Veronica Mars. Sara would play karma, which Tommy didn't know. He just knew that they had found someone to play the part. He personally was excited to help out Oliver and to get a taste of what it was like to be the Arrow, although he was starting to realize that it was harder than it looked.

"Is she really putting herself in danger that often?" Oliver asked.

Veronica didn't say anything. She understood why Laurel would do it, she, herself, had done it often enough. She wasn't in any position to judge Laurel, especially since she had often helped her and showed her how to proceed, long before Oliver came back in town.

"Yes. I know that you have your hands full right now but do you think you could do something about it? She starting to investigate Sebastian Blood and it doesn't look good." Tommy asked his friend.

"We've been thinking about telling her about who we are, you know, at night. We've been discussing it a lot lately. But maybe telling her would only push her to put herself in dangerous positions more frequently." Oliver replied.

"I know that the two of you love Laurel and that you worry for her but you need to have some faith in her. She knows what she's doing. Helping others is in her blood and she does what she thinks she needs to do in order to help the people of this city. She knows that we, the vigilantes, are out there but she also know that we can't always be behind her. She's been taking self defense classes." Veronica tried to argue to defend her friend.

"I know that you taught her a lot when you two first became friends Veronica but she's not being careful like you were. She wants to do too much too fast and she puts herself in danger, she exposes herself." Tommy argued.

"Listen, why don't we start by telling her the truth about us, then we'll try to make her understand that sometimes, being careful and taking longer to investigate something can be beneficial." Oliver offered.

"Alright. Thanks. My next option was to involve her father and that would have set a bad precedent in our couple." Tommy smiled.

"Because you think you two would still be a couple if you involved her father for something like that?" Veronica smirked.

"Right. Well, hopefully she'll calm down." Tommy nodded while Oliver chuckled.

"We'll tell her tomorrow." Oliver suggested.

"Good. Well, thank you. I should go or I'll be late for a meeting. Actually, I think I'm already late." Tommy replied with a smile before he waved and left.

As soon as Tommy left, Oliver walked to Veronica and took her in his arms. He loved having her in his life and he couldn't even come close to imagining how his life would be without her in it. She was perfect for him and he couldn't wait to have the perfect occasion to propose to her.

He was going to do it soon but now, with her father's death, Barry being in a coma and the Mira Kuru problem, he felt like it would be best to wait for a while. He kept the ring he had custom made for her in a fake book in his mother's bedroom. Moira was more than happy to hide the ring and keep it safe for her son. She loved Veronica and already considered her like part of the family anyway.

"So, I was thinking, as soon as this Mira Kuru thing is over, maybe we could go and look for a dog?" Oliver suggested as he kissed her neck softly.

"Really? that'd be great!" She exclaimed, turning around in his arms and giving him a real kiss.

* * *

 _ **I hope you liked it. Next chapter is called: Off with your mask. Can you guess who's mask we're talking about here?**_

 _ **I know that I don't update as often as I did at the beginning but the writing is coming slowly now.**_

 _ **Review please?**_

 _ **Lorelei Candice Black**_


	20. Off with your mask

**Off with your mask**

* * *

That day, Veronica and Oliver were with Laurel in Oliver's house. Tommy was supposed to be there as well but a last minute meeting forced him to be at work. Laurel didn't know why her friends wanted to speak with her, she just knew that it was important and she felt nervous. Maybe she had done something she shouldn't have and they were going to scold her or something? Was she working too hard and had missed something important in Veronica's life? Her head was full of hypothesis and she couldn't wait to find out the real reason behind this invitation.

"So, what is this about?" She asked them.

"Laurel, I know it's going to be hard to believe and to accept but there is something important that Oliver and I need to tell you." Veronica told her.

"I'm listening." Laurel nodded.

"There are no easy ways to tell you so we're just going to say it. I'm Arrow and Veronica is Karma. We figured that it was time you knew." Oliver declared.

"You're... and she's... Really? wow. Wait, Tommy was supposed to be here for this. You were going to tell him too, right? Why didn't you wait for him?" Laurel asked.

"Tommy knows already. Oliver had to tell him the night he saved his father with the blood transfusion." Veronica explained.

"I guess it makes sense. Actually, everything makes so much more sense now..." Laurel nodded.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner Laurel, we knew that we could trust you but we didn't really know how you'd take it." Oliver added.

"I get it, don't worry. Wait, my father works with the Vigilantes, does he know you're behind the masks?" She asked them.

"No, he doesn't. We always mask our voices when we work with him." Veronica nodded.

"Okay. Who knows then?" She asked back.

"Well, Mac and John Diggle know and work with us. Moira and Thea know as well and we'll tell Roy soon." Oliver replied.

"And Barry Allen, a CSI from Central city, knows as well." Veronica added.

"Wow... And can I ask why you finally decided to tell me now?"

"Well, we decided that it was time you knew as well since everyone else in our close circle knew and Tommy kind of mentioned that you've been taking risks in the investigations you do for your cases." Veronica explained calmly.

"I... he doesn't really agree with the risks I take... I had no idea he was this worried... I think it's because I started investigating Sebastian Blood but I don't do anything you didn't do before." Laurel nodded.

"Sebastian Blood? My mother's opponent in the mayoral election?" Oliver asked her.

"Yes. I don't have much to go on right now but I don't like it. That and he flirts with me even though I'm openly dating Tommy and everyone knows we even live together. He's behind a lot of actions in the city since the undertaking but when I looked at everything that goes badly lately in town, he's behind or involved in most of the programs that have problems. I know it isn't much but I'm working on it." Laurel tried to explain.

"I get it, I don't like him much either. There's something fishy about him, I just didn't get the time to look into it yet with everything else that's been going on." Veronica nodded.

"Maybe we could look together at what I have and see what we can do?" Laurel suggested.

"Good idea and it will reassure Tommy." Oliver nodded.

"Well, right now we have to get to Queen Consolidated and Laurel I'm sure you have work to do as well. Why don't we meet up later today? When you're done with work, come find me at the office and I'll show you our vigilante lair. Just don't call it the Arrow cave because Oliver hates it." Veronica suggested with a smile.

"Good idea. I have to be in court in an hour, I should prepare." Laurel nodded before she left them.

.

While Veronica went to the office, Oliver went to meet with Roy.

They had watched over him for over a week since he had been injected with Mira Kuru and now that they knew that he wasn't working with the man in the mask, they figured that it was time he knew who Arrow and Karma were, especially since Oliver would be able to help Roy control his new abilities.

"So, Thea just said that you wanted to talk to me. Why are we here?" Roy asked Oliver nervously as they both walked through an empty warehouse.

"We're here because this is a secure location and because I have several important things to tell you. Don't worry Roy, I didn't bring you out here to kill you or anything." Oliver replied with a small amused smile on his face.

"Okay, so what is it?"

"I know what happened to you last week. I know you were injected with a serum by a man in a skull mask and I know because I was there when you were rescued. I'm Arrow. Veronica is Karma. We didn't tell you right away because we wanted to make sure you weren't working with the man in the skull mask. The serum you were injected with is called Mira Kuru and it changes you. Not only physically but also mentally. It makes you angrier than you originally are. It's happened to a friend of mine before, back when I was on the Island and I want to help you control it. I want to help you so that you don't let your anger control you." Oliver explained.

"You're Arrow? You're really him?" Roy asked him.

"I am." Oliver nodded.

Roy believed Oliver quite easily and so Oliver took time to explain to the younger man his history on the Island. How they discovered the Mira Kuru serum and how his old friend Slade ended up with it in him before Oliver had to kill him by putting an arrow through his eye. Of course Roy was overjoyed to know that Arrow was going to help him but he was especially worried about his anger issue.

"I have been more angry lately. I... I don't want to end up hurting Thea some day. I want you to promise me that you won't let me become like your friend Slade. Promise me that you'll shoot me down before I can hurt anyone who doesn't deserve it." Roy asked his girlfriend's brother.

"I promise but I'm hoping it won't come to that. If you grow out of control we'll either sedate you or find a way to imprison you until we find a cure." Oliver replied.

"A cure? Is it even a possibility?" Roy asked him, curious.

"We gave some of your blood to Star labs in Central City, we have friends there. They're trying to create a cure with it but it's not enough. They'd need a clean dose of Mira Kuru to work faster." Oliver explained.

"If I grow out of control, sedate me until you can find a cure but if you have to kill me, if there isn't any other option, know that I understand and that I forgive you in advance." Roy replied with a sincere smile.

"Alright. Now why don't we get back in town. You have to work with Thea and I need to get back to Queen Consolidated. Oh, and Thea knows about Veronica and me. You don't need to keep it a secret from her. It might actually be good for you to have someone to talk to, outside of the team."

"Thanks. So, how do you call yourselves, like _Team Arrow_ or something?" Roy nodded, glad that he'd be able to be honest with Thea, one of the rare good thing he had in his life.

"We don't call ourselves that. Don't call us that. And if Thea tells you it's okay to call us that, she's lying. Veronica too." Oliver frowned, making Roy smile.

.

Veronica couldn't get herself to concentrate on Queen Consolidated business. Laurel's words about Sebastian Blood were stuck in her head and had light a fire that she couldn't put down, not by ignoring it at least. She needed to find out more about the man, to know his secrets. Besides Sebastian Blood and the many mysteries around him, she was curious about one other matter: the identity of the man behind the skull mask.

Habitually, she'd respect the privacy of someone wearing a mask, at least she would as long as they only did good around them, out of professional courtesy. She understood the need to conceal one's identity when you were out in the open, stopping dangerous criminals. But this man, the one in the skull mask, it was another story. He was killing people, young people who had their future ahead of them, and he was obviously making Mira Kuru, or working with someone who was making it.

It was hard for her to decide who she wanted to work on first but since she had hit an impasse on her investigation of the man in the Skull Mask, she decided to start doing her own investigation on Sebastian Blood.

It took Veronica a few hours of work and all of her resources but she quickly found a few important things about the man. First of all, he was a liar and that was something she hated in people. The man pretended he was an orphan, yet he still had a living mother who was in a psychiatric hospital under another name. Veronica wanted to go and interrogate the woman who had given birth to the enigma that was Sebastian Blood but she thought it would be best to wait for Laurel, who'd want to hear these information as well.

"Everything okay my Love?" Oliver asked her as he entered her open office, bringing lunch with him.

"Yes, don't worry. Just finding out some things about Blood." She replied with a smile.

"Do you need me?" He offered, sitting on the edge of her desk so that he was facing her.

"Not yet, thanks. I'll go with Laurel later to visit this woman he claims died a long time ago. I have a feeling that she'll have some interesting things to tell us, as long as she's not really crazy."

"Well, be careful. I don't want you to get hurt, not when I'm not around to blame myself." he told her with a smile.

"You know I will do my best to be careful. Laurel and I will be fine." She replied with a smile before she kissed him and they went to sit around a small table she had in her office to eat their lunch while discussing company issues.

.

Later that day, when Laurel arrived in Veronica's office, the blond was busy giving instructions to her assistant. As soon as the younger woman left with her instructions, Veronica guided Laurel to their vigilante lair.

"It's incredible, all this equipment... Thanks for sharing this with me." Laurel told her.

"No problem. Now, did you bring everything you found on Sebastian Blood?" Veronica asked her.

"It's not much right now. Just what everyone else knows about him, where he studied, who his friends were and are right now, where he lives and his medical records. Not much to go on." Laurel replied.

"Well, I managed to dig a little deeper and found out that his mother is still alive and not far from here. He had her transferred in town a few months ago. I was thinking we could go and see her, ask her a few questions." Veronica suggested as she showed Laurel what she had found so far.

"Will you go as Veronica Mars or as Karma?" Laurel asked her.

"Let's be Veronica for now." Veronica smiled.

They were about to leave when Oliver and Roy arrived to start the training of the younger man. They wished the girls good luck and Oliver reminded Veronica to call if she needed anything. Then they kissed and the girls left, taking Laurel's car to drive to the psychiatric hospital.

.

The woman was crazy, Veronica realized. She didn't make any sense and seemed truly terrified but she managed to tell them a few interesting facts. Sebastian Blood had killed his own father and accused his mother of it. Then he drove her crazy so she couldn't tell anyone the truth. Sometimes, he tells people that she's his aunt and he always has her transferred wherever he lives so he can keep an eye on her.

She didn't tell them more, they seemed lucky enough to have had a few minutes of lucidity from her so they left and went back to the Vigilante lair to look in old files.

"Looks like he knew Cyrus Gold. They were in the same orphanage." Veronica said, pointing toward the computer screen.

Laurel joined her and, a few seconds later, the files vanished.

"What's going on?" Laurel asked Veronica.

"Someone erased it. Someone erased the file. Him or someone working with him." Veronica replied after typing furiously on the computer for a few more minutes.

"So we know that he's lying and probably working with Gold but we don't have proof?" Laurel asked for confirmation.

"Even the things I had before got erased." Veronica nodded.

"Well, at least we know the truth, that won't be erased. We can still look and maybe we'll find something." Laurel shrugged her shoulders.

"I managed to clear my schedule for tomorrow, I think I'll follow him around to see what I can find this way." Veronica suggested.

"I'd come with you but I have to plead in court tomorrow." Laurel replied.

"Don't worry about it, I'll be fine on my own. Plus, we both know that Oliver will only be a call away. He'll probably have Diggle be ready to join me just in case." veronica replied.

.

The next day, Veronica dressed as Karma so she wouldn't be recognized when she followed Sebastian Blood around. Oliver would inform people that she was sick for the day and they would be connected through their ear pieces all day. He wanted to be informed if anything went wrong, which was also why Diggle was in the lair, ready to leave as soon as Veronica showed the slightest sign of distress.

Karma was discreet and nobody noticed that she was out and about during the day. She managed to follow and spy on Blood almost everywhere he went and, only when the day came to an end and Oliver warned her that he was about to join her with Roy, did she find out that he was the man in the skull mask. Of course this revelation angered Roy and so Oliver stayed with him to help him learn to calm down and get focus.

Knowing that Arrow would still come if she asked, Karma kept on following Sebastian Blood, trying to keep hidden her own anger for what the man was doing behind closed doors. Discreetly, Karma snapped a few pictures of Sebastian Blood putting on and off the skull mask, she'd need it later to get him to jail, like he deserved. She followed Blood back to his campaign office and, once he was inside, she entered the ventilation system to be able to follow him inside and to snap pictures if necessary.

She was surprised to see him back in his office so late at night but everything became clear when he opened his lap top and starting a video conference call. While it was loading, she turned her camera on and started recording what he did, from behind him, still in the ventilation system. When it finally opened, she had to bite back a cry of surprise. There, on the computer screen, was the face of Slade Wilson, the man Oliver thought he had killed.

She had seen an old picture of him in official records but it was enough for her to be sure it was him. She quietly recorded their entire conversation. She listened carefully as they talked of making more Mira Kuru now that they knew it would work. Slade assured Blood that they had enough men to take over the city and promised Sebastian that he'd be able to lead it once it was all over. They talked of taking Moira Queen out of the race before the elections before deciding it would hurt Oliver more if she died after the elections. The conversation didn't last more than 10 minutes but it was enough for Veronica to know that she needed to find Oliver right away.

They needed to upgrade the security around their family. Slade was coming for them and they needed to be ready.

.

Sitting behind his desk, Slade was frustrated. He had told Sebastian Blood that he had everything under control but it was a lie. Taking over the city with his soldiers would be easy, destroying the city would be easy, but destroying everything Oliver Queen loved and cherished? It would be much harder than planned. He had ideas of course but Oliver's new girlfriend, Veronica Mars, had ruined them all in one way or another. Veronica prevented Isobel from taking over Oliver's company, she had convinced him that he could trust his sister and mother with his secret and even his ex girlfriend knew about it. Slade hated that he had absolutely no way of hurting Oliver in his private life.

There was only one thing left he could think of: Veronica Mars. She was the key, he knew it. He needed to hurt her to hurt Oliver. She was the one whose pain would hurt his old Island companion. Who knew, maybe he'd even manage to kill her in front of him. That would definitely destroy Oliver and make him feel the pain he deserved.

.

On her way back to the lair, where Oliver was waiting with Laurel, Tommy, Mac, Roy and Diggle, Veronica called her father.

"Veronica, I wasn't expecting a call today. Is everything alright?" Raz asked her once the phone reached him.

"Well, I'm fine but the city won't be. I... I'm calling to ask for you help, Father." She replied.

"What's going on?" he asked her seriously.

"Slade Wilson is alive and mass producing Mira Kuru. He's going to make an army of Mira Kuru soldiers and attack Starling city. He wants to destroy it and to hurt Oliver as much as possible before he kills him. He wants to break him. We have friends working on a cure but we can't count on it to be ready right when we need it. It could be ready fast just like it could take some time." She replied, talking quickly but clearly.

"Oliver told me about Mira Kuru and Slade Wilson... Obviously that man is hard to kill." Raz nodded on his side of the phone.

"And we can assume that all of his soldiers will be just as hard to kill." She added.

"Don't worry, daughter. I'll get your sister and a few men to get ready." He promised her.

"Please warn Sara. Laurel knows about Oliver and I being Arrow and Karma. She doesn't know about her being alive but if she comes to town, she'll need to be prepared." Veronica warned her father.

"Very well. Take care of yourself and be careful Veronica. Your sister will arrive within a few days with a team to back you up."

"Thanks father, I love you." She told him, deciding that telling him how she felt was the right thing to do, even if neither of them were the kind of people to do this often.

"I love you too, Veronica." he replied before he hung up.

"What did my sister want?" Nyssa asked as she entered the room her father was in, having been told that her sister was on the phone.

"Trouble is preparing in Starling city. Slade Wilson is alive and making Mira Kuru. He's planning on taking over Starling city with Mira Kuru Soldiers." he replied.

"This is personal. He wants to hurt Oliver and get revenge for Shadow's death. He wants to punish Oliver for choosing to save me instead of her. Veronica will definitely be his main target. A blind man could tell that she's the most important person to Oliver and that hurting her would hurt him." Sara replied without hesitating.

"He will not touch my sister." Nyssa declared, a savage light in her eyes.

"No, he will not. Gather a team, a large one, and go to Starling city. Protect your sister and her beloved." Raz al Ghul ordered.

Nyssa nodded before she left the main room to prepare her team.

.

Once Veronica finally came back to their lair, she showed the pictures and video to Oliver and the others. She also informed them of her phone call to her father and that he was sending a few members of the league to help them out.

They listened to everything twice before John declared that he'd get more security personnel for the Queen family and that he'd chose the men himself. Tommy was considering taking Laurel out of town for the coming weeks but his own family company needed him and since Laurel refused to leave town in its biggest time of need, he didn't argue about it and instead, they tried to arm up so they could defend themselves in case of need.

Roy was only too happy to spend more time with Thea in order to look after her, he'd stay with her at work until it was time to come home, then he'd come with her to the family house.

Oliver did his best to hide how worried he was for Veronica but the young woman knew him well and could feel his anxiety. She silently reassured him and, once they went home, he made sure he knew that she was fine, that she wasn't worried for herself and that she believed they'd win.

.

The next day, a problem at Queen Consolidated kept Veronica and Oliver busy all day long at the office. They didn't have anything urgent to do in town so they decided to stop by their home first to have dinner with Moira.

"I like this." Oliver stated on their way there.

"What?" She asked him with a smile.

"This. The little moments when it's just the two of us doing something any other couple does." he replied, taking her hand in his while John drove them.

"Me too. I like being able to just be with you, without having to solve any problem or save anyone. I like that we can still have quiet normal moments." Veronica told him.

When they arrived to the house, they were laughing together at a joke they had hear earlier at the office when they heard voices coming from the living room. One of the two voices they heard was Moira's and the other one was one Oliver hoped he wouldn't ever hear in this house, especially not alone with his mother.

"Keep it cool, Oliver." Veronica warned him when she saw him get tensed.

"My mother's with him." Oliver said angrily but whispering so they weren't heard.

"I'll get Moira away, don't do anything until she's away. We don't want her caught in the crossfire." Veronica replied before squeezing his hand softly and leading him to the living room, with a smile on her face as if she didn't know who Slade was.

"Moira, I hope we're not interrupting anything important. We thought we'd have dinner together today." Veronica exclaimed when they entered the room.

"Not at all. Veronica, Oliver, this is Slade Wilson. Mister Wilson has offered to fund the last part of my campaign." Moira introduced them.

"Nice to meet you two." Slade told them while Oliver was forced to shake his hand.

"Likewise but, Moira, I was wondering if I could speak with you a moment? It won't be long, I'm sure Oliver can keep mister Wilson company until we come back. I'm afraid it can't wait too long, it's about Thea." Veronica said and Moira, oblivious to the tension rising in the room, nodded.

As soon as they were in the corridor, out of sight, Veronica hurried Moira outside.

"What's wrong?" Moira exclaimed while Veronica motioned for John, who was speaking with a security agent he had hired, to come to them.

"Slade Wilson was on the Island with Oliver. It's a long story and we'll tell you everything later but he hates Oliver. Definitely a bad guy. Go to Verdant and tell Roy and Thea what happened. Make sure Roy stays with you. John will drive you and explain everything on the way. Please, don't stay here." Veronica told the woman she considered her mother.

"But what about Oliver?" Moira asked, suddenly worried.

"Don't worry, he should be fine. He won't be alone." Veronica replied.

"Where to?" John asked Veronica.

"To Verdant. Roy will be present there." Veronica informed him and, as soon as they were in the car and driving away, she rushed back inside the house.

When she walked back into the living room, Slade and Oliver stood face to face. Oliver looked angry and tensed while Slade had a confident look on his face, like he was sure he'd win. They both looked about to jump on the other and as soon as Veronica entered the room, both men turned to look at her. One with love and worry in his eyes, the other one with a calculating look filled with hatred.

* * *

 ** _Yes, I did it, I left you on a cliffhanger..._**

 ** _What will happen next? Will they fight in the house? Will Slade hurt Veronica? Will they kiss and make up?_**

 ** _Review please and I love reading reviews._**

 ** _Lorelei Candice Black_**


	21. Losing the one you love

**_Losing the one you love_**

* * *

When she walked back into the living room, Slade and Oliver stood face to face. Oliver looked angry and tensed while Slade had a confident and calculating look on his face, like he was sure he'd win and like he knew something they didn't. She doubted they had said one word to each other while she was out of the room. They both looked about to jump on the other and as soon as Veronica entered the room, both men turned to look at her. One with love and worry in his eyes, the other one with calculating eyes filled with a familiar hatred she was used to getting back in Neptune.

"Miss Mars. Nice to finally meet you face to face." Slade declared, smiling at Veronica in a way that reminded her of Aaron Echolls before he locked her up in a burning freezer and gave her chills.

"I honestly wasn't that eager to meet you." Veronica replied, trying to ease the tension.

"Understandable." Slade smirked and for a second, Veronica wondered if he reminded her more of Aaron Echolls or Liam Fitzpatrick.

"Stop, Slade! Don't you think that this already went too far?" Oliver asked him, trying to contain his anger while positioning himself between Veronica and his old Island friend.

"Too far? No, I think it's just beginning Oliver. Shadow died because you chose Sara over her and now I'm going to make you pay by taking from you every single thing you care about." Slade replied.

"Your company, your money, your family and even that blond Love you've found. I'm going to take it all away from you, slowly, one by one." Slade added.

"You're not touching a hair on Veronica's head." Oliver growled angrily.

Slade noticed that Oliver hadn't reacted to his other threats, only Veronica seemed to get a reaction from him. He obviously didn't really care about losing everything else, but his Love, now that's one person he wasn't willing to lose and he understood it all too well. Slade now understood and knew that it didn't matter all you had. If you don't have love in your life, you don't have anything at all.

"And how do you plan on stopping me exactly, kid? You couldn't do it then, you won't be able to do it now." Slade asked Oliver.

Instead of answering, Oliver jumped on Slade who was only too happy to fight with him. Veronica, of course, rushed to help Oliver but it seemed that Slade was well prepared and he easily knocked them out, one by one. Veronica was the first one he knocked unconscious by sending her flying onto the wall, breaking a couple of frames and a vase on the way, after about 15 minutes of fighting. Oliver, worried for Veronica, didn't pay attention to Slade for a few seconds, which caused him to be knocked out as well, breaking a table and a couple of glasses. Veronica managed to get up and went back to fight Slade, soon followed by Oliver and, after about 30 more minutes of knocking bodies and furniture around, the couple of vigilante were knocked out on the floor and Slade was standing, smirking happily.

Their fights had resulted in a lot of broken furniture and a few frames were now on the ground. The living room looked like it had seen better days and it would take a while to clean it up.

Slade left the room, and the house, feeling pretty smug about this encounter. He didn't have everything going the way he would like it to go but he had enough. He'd win. He'd get everything he wanted. On his way out, he crossed John Diggle and Roy Harper, two of Oliver's friends.

"A bit too late, aren't you?" Slade told them with a smirk.

Immediately, they both rushed inside, fearing for the worst. Slade managed to start his car without any interruption and drove back to his house while John and Roy discovered that Veronica and Oliver were slowly regaining consciousness. They'd have cuts and bruises on them for a few days but at least they were alive and still fit to fight, that was the most important.

.

A few hours later, everyone met back at the Queen house. Oliver and Veronica were all patched up and they had cleaned up the traces of their fight with Slade but the moods were down. All that was left to do was for them to find an excuse to explain their new bruises. Maybe a motorcycle accident.

"I don't have to tell you that this isn't your fault and that you don't have to feel guilty, do I?" Veronica asked Oliver in a whisper the others couldn't hear while they got some drinks and food for the injured.

"He wants to kill you to get to me, Veronica, of course it makes it my fault that you were hurt today." He replied.

"I could have left with your mother, coming back in the living room to back you up was my choice entirely." She insisted.

"I couldn't live with myself if he killed you." Oliver admitted to her.

"You won't have to. It might be hard but we'll manage. We'll stop him and we'll be fine. And then we'll get us a doggy." She replied to lighten the mood a bit.

"Yes, I can't wait for us to go and get that dog. Are you sure we can do it?" He asked her, wondering why they were still alone in the room.

"I'm sure. Nyssa and Sara are even coming with a few league members. My father won't let us fight this one on our own and I'm sure that when he said he'd send them with 'a few' league members, he meant more than we think." Veronica replied.

"Good. But as much as I want him stopped, I'm not sure I want to kill him. I just want to lock him up." Oliver told her, hugging her to his side, ignoring the pain it brought him.

"Then we'll find a way. I can call Amanda Waller or John can call Lyla and they can find a prison that can hold Slade Wilson." She suggested.

"Good idea." he nodded.

Veronica then started to kiss him, knowing it would brighten his mood and change his mind a bit.

"It'll be okay. Repeat after me." She whispered before she kissed him again.

Smiling in the kiss, Oliver repeated it.

"Is it safe to come back in? Oliver's not feeling guilty anymore?" Thea asked and once Veronica nodded, everyone came in with food and drinks so they could start talking over their battle plans.

"Mac called a few minutes ago while the two of you talked it out. Star lab managed to create a cure out of Roy's blood and the syringe we sent them. They made as many doses as they could and Mac is on her way back with it. At first they wanted to send them through an official carrier but Mac argued that Slade's men would be less suspicious if she brought them on her own, incognito. The official Star Lab carrier will still come though, as a decoy, with doses of colored water." John explained as soon as he walked in the room.

"When will she be back?" Veronica asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon at the latest. It depends on traffic." John replied and they nodded.

"Raz's league members should arrive around the same time." Veronica nodded.

"We have one problem though. Lyla talked to Waller about Slade hoping she'd send us some help but Amanda Waller is scared. She won't help us, instead, she's planning on blocking the city's exits as soon as Slade's men make their moves." John added, shaking his head.

"I wouldn't put it past her to bomb the city if we lose or if the threat becomes too big." Veronica added.

"I was thinking of going there with Lyla. Duncan will help us. We can try to convince a few Suicide Squad members to help us stop her, or hold her off long enough for you to stop him." John suggested.

"Good idea." Oliver nodded.

"And as soon as Mac's here, we can test the cure on me." Roy declared, excited.

"We might want to test it on one of Slade's men first. Just in case it doesn't work or has negative side effects." Thea suggested making Veronica and Oliver nod.

"We'll see when Mac gets here but I can feel my anger rise and it's getting harder to control. I want this cure." Roy replied a little more forcefully than he intended.

Thankfully, Thea held on his hand and managed to calm him down.

"What about the elections?" Veronica asked around.

"What about them?" Moira asked her, confused.

"We know that Sebastian Blood wants to win and that he has plans to kill you if you win. And let's face it, we all know that you will and according to what we know so far, Slade won't move his men until at least 3 more days and the elections are the day after tomorrow. We need to make sure they can't touch you." Veronica replied.

"Arrow and Karma could be there, in the open, to secure the place. Black Canary will happily help us too." Oliver suggested.

"Who is it by the way. Black Canary I mean? You never mentioned her name." Laurel asked.

"It's... Complicated. And not really our secret to tell. Sorry." Veronica replied, apologetic.

"Okay." Laurel nodded.

"What can I do to help?" Tommy asked.

"Well, maybe you and Laurel can help Mac fill arrows with doses of the cure so we can be prepared to inject Slade's soldiers with the cure when they attack. We won't have time to do it at the last minute." Oliver told his friend who nodded, happy to be able to help.

"I think that Karma and Arrow should coordinate with the police department on this one to keep the losses to a minimum." Veronica added.

"Yes, make sure that people stay as safe as possible." Moira nodded.

"We'll need to start working on planning something tomorrow." Oliver nodded.

"I can help and be the link with my father." Laurel offered and they nodded their agreement.

.

The next few days, they were all very busy, very tensed but luckily, everything went according to their planning. Even though the police department was doubtful, they still agreed to back the Vigilante up in case the attack they warned them about actually happened. The league arrived at the same time as Mac and, while Sarah went to confess her being alive to her sister, the others got ready.

Nyssa and the league would patrol the town while Black Canary, Arrow and Karma would protect Moira during the elections. They would explain Oliver and Veronica's absence by pretending they were trapped in an accident out of town. Diggle would join the woman he loved and Duncan at Argus to try and keep everything under control. He wasn't against working with a few members of the suicide squad even the one who killed his brother, if he had to. As for the day of the election, he'd be Moira's close bodyguard.

"Don't worry sister, everything will go well." Nyssa told her little sister reassuringly while the 30 league members she had taken with her took their assignments and did as they were told.

Oliver's old friend, Maseo, would stay with them to protect Moira, the future mayor of the town, from Slade and Blood.

As soon as Mac arrived, she settled the case holding the cure down and, before anyone could do anything with it because they were greeting each other, Roy grabbed a syringe and injected himself with a large dose of the cure. He only told them once it was done.

"Sorry, I just couldn't risk losing control, it was too hard for me." Roy declared, making them turn to look at him before he lost consciousness and fell on the floor.

Oliver and John carried him to a nearby couch and they all started filling doses while waiting to see if it had worked on him.

"He's starting to wake up." Thea exclaimed an hour later and they all turned to see Roy opening his eyes.

"Roy, how are you feeling?" Veronica asked him.

"I... Fine. Not angry anymore, and not as strong as before." Roy replied after a few seconds.

"I'll take a blood sample and test it to check it out." Veronica replied while a few league members replied that it had taken a lot of courage to do what he had just done.

.

Luckily for them, the test showed that there was no more traces of Mira Kuru in his blood, which meant that the cure worked well.

"We just have a few hours before the election. We need to start on the site's protection." Oliver announced, looking at his cell phone.

"I should probably train a little. Since everyone will be at Verdant, I could go to your old lair in its basement and train there. This way if there's trouble I'll be able to come right up." Roy suggested.

"Good idea, I'll leave a league member with you. He'll help you." Maseo nodded.

"Good. V and I should be seen voting as soon as it opens, then we'll leave for a _business meeting_ and Arrow and Karma will be able to make their entrance and watch over Moira with Black Canary." Oliver replied.

"The rest of the League will patrol the city, looking for Slade and his men. Their rendez-vous point is here. Maseo and I will stay here as well." Nyssa stated.

"Are you okay Sara?" Veronica asked her blond friend when she saw how distraught she looked.

"I'll be fine. I knew Laurel would be angry at me for keeping the secret, I also know that she'll forgive me as soon as her anger has died down." Sara replied.

"Are you sure that you don't want your father to know?" Oliver asked her, knowing that it would make everything much easier if he did.

"No, I... I'm not ready to face him yet. Laurel's disappointment in me is enough. I'll wait a little before I face this scene again with my father." Sara replied, sure that her father would be angry at her.

"Well, you guys go. I'll check that everything is in order around here and then I'll go vote and hang out at Verdant with everyone." Mac replied.

"Maybe you should wait in the basement with Roy. If there's an attack, you'd be safer." veronica suggested to her best friend.

"I'll think about it." Mac smiled.

The rest of the day seemed to pass very slowly. They voted for Moira, they patrolled and protected Verdant where she was waiting for the results and greeting voters, they stopped a couple of attempts on her life, handing immediately the shooters to Detective Lance's men who arrested them and they waited.

At the end of the day, of course Moira won and Sebastian Blood came to congratulate her in front of everyone. He wasn't expecting his opponent to be ready for him and when he positioned her in the planned direction, he was surprised to see a body fall from the ceiling instead of a bullet reaching her back. As soon as that was done he was arrested. Laurel had told her father about their suspicions about Blood and they managed to get enough evidence to arrest him. They managed to have legal permission to search his possessions when the arrested shooters admitted to being working for him. Once they opened his computer, they quickly found a draft written for a speech where he told the city that he was accepting the job of Mayor in memory of the recently brutally murdered Moira Queen. Since Moira was still alive it was more than enough to arrest him for attempted murder and it gave them the opportunity to look through all of his things, finding more reasons to keep him behind bars.

With Sebastian Blood arrested and locked up, Slade didn't see any reasons to wait anymore and so he moved up his plan, injecting the remaining Mira Kuru soldiers before he ordered them to take the town and to kill as many people as possible.

The first assault on the town was brutal the soldiers hit form every side at once and it wasn't easy to spread around and stop them. Arrow and Karma stayed together and, on the way to a recent hot spot, they saved a few people. A young man and his fiance, who'd have to go to the hospital but should survive, a red haired woman who seemed overly grateful and completely ignored Karma to concentrate her gratefulness on Arrow, a group of children and even a few cops.

.

Slade was in town as well, waiting for the perfect opportunity to take down Oliver. By his side, he saw Shadow, reminding him of the pain he felt when he lost her and that he needed to make it so that Oliver felt that same pain. He wanted to kill Veronica in front of Oliver, this was one of the best way he knew how to hurt him. Shadow asked this of him, every day, and so he was going to give it to her. If in the process he had to destroy the entire town and to kill all of Oliver's friends and allies, then so be it.

.

At Argus' headquarter, everything was going according to plan. Duncan had gotten them the cooperation of a few Suicide Squad members and they quickly cornered Amanda Waller and managed to force her to stop her planned bombing of Starling city. She refused to ask her soldiers blocking the city's exit to back off though, not until they were sure Slade and his men had been stopped for good.

In the process of defending herself, trying to throw them off guard, she revealed Lyla's pregnancy.

"I was going to tell you when all of this is over, I only just found out yesterday." Lyla told John, glaring at her boss for revealing a secret that was hers to tell when she saw fit.

"It's okay, I get it. We can talk about this later." John smiled, understanding why she hadn't told him yet and happy to know that he was going to be a father.

"Congratulations you two." Duncan told them.

"Yeah, congrats." Deadshot added, knowing how precious a child was in the life of a man.

"Let's hope everything goes well today." Lyla breathed out.

.

Starling city was fortunately prepared when the Mira Kuru army made its move. Arrow, Karma and their entire team were well prepared and so was the police department, who was working hand in hand with the vigilantes. The fight was concentrated in one place. Thanks to Mac's good information, they had been able to intercept the soldiers right before they spread around the city.

This made the fight easier and allowed the vigilantes and their team to hit the soldiers with doses of the cure while killing very few of them.

"Has anyone seen Slade?" Arrow asked, once the fight died out a bit and there were just a handful of soldiers left.

"When it all started, I saw him but nothing after that. I think Karma went to fight him." One of the cops replied before he went to help his colleagues arrest the soldiers who were starting to wake up.

"Nyssa! Where's Veronica?" Oliver asked.

"I lost sight of her during the fight. Beloved?" Nyssa asked.

Sara was masked and she knew that she couldn't use her real name, just in case Lance heard.

"I lost track of her as soon as the fight started." Sara replied.

"I found this. I think it's for you." Maseo said, running towards Oliver with a phone in his hand.

Oliver took the phone in his hand and saw that a video was loaded. He played it and saw Slade telling him that he had Veronica and to meet him, alone, in a warehouse that was on the opposite side of town. In the message Slade made it clear that he wanted to finish this directly with Oliver and that any other presence would result in Veronica's death.

"I'm going." Oliver said, giving the phone back to Maseo.

"It's obviously a trap." Maseo exclaimed.

"I know, but she's the woman I love. I won't let him kill her. I don't care what happens to me." Oliver replied before he ran to his motorcycle and drove off before Maseo could warn Nyssa.

He knew that Nyssa and the league would be coming as well, but he was hoping to get a little advance and that it would allow him to free Veronica.

.

Oliver arrived to see Slade holding Veronica tightly against him. The way he held her made it impossible for Veronica to move but she was conscious, awake and obviously furious.

"This doesn't have to turn into a fight, Slade. Free Veronica. Please." Oliver declared his eyes never leaving Veronica.

He knew her and he could tell that she was just waiting for an opportunity to make her move, she just needed some freedom of movement and so he needed to find a way to make Slade loosen his hold on her.

"Oh, but you see, it kind of does. You need to pay for Shadow's death. You let the woman I loved die, now I'm going to make you watch as I slowly kill the woman you love." Slade smirked angrily.

"Do you have any idea of the people who'll come after you if she dies?" Oliver asked desperately.

"You'll be too dead to be able to do anything, kid. I'll kill you next." Slade replied.

"I'm not speaking about me. I'm speaking about her father, Raz Al Ghul, Head to the Demon, leader to the league of assassins. They all love her and will come after you and make you pay for her death." Oliver stated and it must have had an effect on Slade because he loosened his hands just a little, enough for Veronica to be able to move her hand and reach in one of the pockets of her utility belt.

"Why should I be scared, Kid? Once I have my revenge, I'll die happily." Slade replied.

While he spoke, Veronica managed to move her leg just enough to hit Slade. In turn, Slade moved his arms just enough to allow Veronica to use the syringe she had managed to reach seconds before. She quickly injected him in the arm. The shock of it all was enough for Slade to stumble back and for Veronica to run in Oliver's arms. They hugged and kissed quickly and, once they were sure the other was fine, they nodded and jumped into the fight against Slade.

The man was weakened a bit by Veronica's injection of a double dose of the cure but it wasn't enough to put him down and Oliver had to shoot him with a few more doses before he fell down.

The league, led by Nyssa, arrived during the fight and they stood back, letting Oliver sort his problem but ready to jump in as soon as Veronica was in danger.

"Mac called John Diggle, Argus moved his soldiers back. The town is safe." Nyssa told her sister once it was over.

"Great! What about the Mira Kuru Soldiers?" She asked back.

"Sara is watching over the transfer. Laurel and her father are taking charge of it all. They're being sent to Iron Heights I think." Nyssa explained.

"And everyone is okay?" Oliver asked.

"Yes, a few bruises here and there but nothing fatal. I think we did good." Nyssa nodded.

"Well, I think I'm hungry and that we all deserve a party to celebrate our good work. I'm sure Thea has something planned for us." Veronica stated.

"When aren't you hungry, love?" Oliver chuckled, hugging her to his side, happy to have been able to keep her safe.

They really did work well together. They hadn't needed to talk, all that had to do was look in each other's eyes to see what the other had planned and to communicate. It was a level of intimacy Oliver had never known with anyone else and he was glad he had it with Veronica. He truly didn't know if he'd be able to go through with life she he was to ever lose her.

"What do we do with him?" Maseo asked, pointing to Slade's body.

"We'll call Waller, let her find a hole to put him in." Oliver stated.

"Duncan told me that she had build a prison capable of holding him on the island you met him on." Veronica replied, not leaving Oliver's arm.

"Good." He nodded before taking his phone out and dialing John's number, hoping that he was still at Argus.

.

While the cops dealt with the remaining traces of the epic fight and the journalist did their best to relay the story, Arrow, Karma and all of their allies were celebrating in the Queen family's garden. Thea had prepared everything in case of a victory and the League members were happy to be able to relax before they had to go back home.

"So, what's next now?" Sara asked Veronica while everyone turned to listen to her answer.

"Now Oliver has to keep is promise to me and we get a puppy." Veronica replied, looking like a little girl on Christmas eve.

"We're getting a dog? That's so cool!" Thea exclaimed, making Roy chuckle.

"Excuse me but I believe that Veronica and I are getting a dog. Not you Speedy." Oliver replied.

"Oh come on, I'll be like, this dog's aunt!" Thea insisted.

"I do the naming though, it's in our contract." Veronica declared, looking at Oliver with a smile.

"Getting a dog, isn't that the first step couples usually take before they start having kids?" John whispered to Oliver who pretended not to hear him.

"What are you going to do with the dog all day? I mean, you're always at the office during the day and out vigilante-ing during the night." Thea asked her brother.

"We'll keep it with us at the office, he'll have a spot in each of our offices and he'll be well behaved. At night he'll be in the lair and when we visit Nyssa and my father, we'll take him with us." Veronica replied confidently.

* * *

 **I know that it took me a while to write this one, I'm sorry. I hope the other ones will come to me faster.**

 **Please review and let me know what you think. Next chapter will be called "Back to normal". It will take place a few weeks later, maybe a couple of months. I'm still writing it.**

 **Merry Christmas!**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	22. Back to normal

_**Back to normal**_

* * *

Ever since he had found out that he had another daughter, Raz had tried to resist the urge to hunt down Leanne and to punish her for keeping such a gem from him. It had taken him a while to decide on the best course of action but, once Nyssa came back to Nanda Parbat after dealing with Slade Wilson in Starling City, he had come to a compromise with himself:

"Nyssa, I've come to a decision. Your sister's mother needs to be punished for keeping her from us. I want you to find her and bring her here to me so I can interrogate her and decide what to do with her. I cannot forgive that she abandoned our daughter in her greatest time of need and that she hide her from me. Find her and bring her here, alive." he ordered.

"Alive? Not unharmed?" Nyssa asked, needing clarifications.

"Feel free to injure her as much as necessary. Veronica isn't only my daughter, she's also your sister and you're entitled your revenge as well. I know how much you care for her." Raz replied.

"Thank you, father. I'll try to be as quick as possible." She nodded before she left.

She didn't need to ask him if she could take Sara with her. She knew that he had included Sara in their plan. They were a team. They always worked together. There was no reasons to stop now.

Plus, ever since Veronica had been found, Raz had been more accepting of their relationship, probably because the question of an heir wasn't on hr sole shoulders anymore.

.

In Central City, Barry finally woke up after spending nearly 9 months in a coma. He was surprised to find himself at Star Lab, even more surprised to learn what had happened to him and to see that even though he had been so long in a coma, he was feeling fine, had abs he definitely didn't have before and that he felt in a good enough health to run a marathon, not that he'd ever felt the need for that before.

It took him less than a day to discover that he had new abilities and a week to get it all under control with the help of Star lab. He wasn't sure if he should do what his instinct told him to do: fight crime, or if he should listen to his adoptive father and stay out of it all. Before he took a decision, he ran out to Starling City and asked Oliver, Diggle, Mac and Veronica what they thought about it.

They had dinner together and had all advised Barry to follow his instinct, to do what his heart told him to do. If he felt that helping people and becoming a hero was his calling, then he should definitely do it. He had the makings of a great hero and Veronica and Oliver knew it, they told him so and assured him that they'd be there for him, no matter what he needed.

As soon as he got back to Central city, and to Star Lab, to resume his training, Barry asked Cisco to work on an electrified whip for Karma, explaining that she was a friend of his and that he wanted to give her this. Cisco was very excited about it and happily agreed to work on it. He immediately had several other ideas to improve hers and Arrow's suits and he got to work quickly. One week later, the whip and the upgraded suits were finished and so Barry brought them over to his Vigilante friends, figuring he'd use this opportunity to ask them for advises on his new _hobby_.

.

In Starling city, the few weeks after Slade's attack had been pretty quiet and as mayor, Moira had decided to re-brand the town to try and clean its tarnished image and so they renamed it Star City.

John and Lyla waited patiently for their baby to be born and Lyla had relocated in their closest office so that she could come home every night, or as often as possible.

Veronica and Oliver, enjoyed the quiet and used it to work on new projects at Queen Consolidated and they were very successful. The family company was on the rise and they were even hiring new employees.

They had delayed a bit the adoption of a dog, mainly because they were too busy with their new projects for now. As Karma and Arrow, they used the relatively quiet time around their city to meet and make friends with other Vigilantes all over the country. Most of the ones they met didn't have any special powers, much like them, but others, like Vixen or Aquaman did and they all agreed that being in contact was a good idea. This way, if any of them needed help, they'd know who to ask. The next one they'd try to meet and get on their side was Batman, Gotham city's vigilante.

They were still very happy together, still going strong and Oliver was slowly starting to plan his proposal, though he had to do so without Veronica finding out, which only made it more complicated but oh so worth it.

Thea and Roy were still going out and Roy worked full time at Verdant, which meant that he spent most of his time with a member of the Queen family.

Moira had made sure the Vigilantes wouldn't be outlawed anymore, which her son and his girlfriend were very grateful for, though in the past few months, they hadn't gotten much trouble from the local police department. Now they could focus even more on stopping criminals and cleaning the city.

.

It took just a little over a week for Sara and Nyssa to locate Veronica's mother in Coast City. It hadn't been that hard and, watching her, they had a hard time believing that she was even related to Veronica at all.

"That woman is a big pathetic pile of screw up." Sara whispered.

"She should be ashamed of herself. She has no pride, no honor. I'm ashamed for Veronica." Nyssa shook her head before they broke in Leanne's one bedroom apartment to wait for her there.

"What's that smell? It's awful! I've never smelt anything that bad and I used to live on a boat with only men, and let me tell you, they weren't in the clean kind." Sara frowned.

"I think it's alcohol, left over food and other stuff." Nyssa frowned.

"It's a good thing Veronica never gave her another chance. Look at this thing, it's so furry it could grow legs soon and escape." Sara replied as she pointed at something on the floor, noticing that there were absolutely no pictures around the place.

"I think I heard something over there." Nyssa whispered, heading in the direction she heard the noise from, ready to fight.

Quickly, they discovered that the noise, a whimper really, was coming from under the bed. When they looked there, they were surprised to see a young boy, looking pale, scared and tired. Quickly putting their weapons back in their resting place, they managed to convince the boy to come out.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Nyssa asked him.

"I live here with my mother. Are you here to rob us?" He whispered.

"Leanne is your mother?" Sara asked him, surprised.

"She doesn't want me to call her Mom. She says I have to call her Leanne. She's not nice." He shook his head.

"What's your name, kid?" Nyssa asked him.

"I'm Hunter. I'm 6 years old."

"Do you have a father?" Sara asked him.

"I think he's dead. I don't know."

"Do you know that you have an older sister in Star City?" Nyssa asked him.

"Leanne speaks of her when she's about to fall asleep because she drank too much. But she doesn't want to know me. How do you know?" he replied.

"My name is Nyssa, and I'm veronica's older sister on her father's side. You're her brother on her mother's side. You and I, we share a sister and that makes you family. I'm not going to leave you here. Your mother is going to get punished for what she did. Would you like to meet your sister?" Nyssa asked him.

"Leanne says that she won't want me." Hunter shook his head.

"Leanne is a liar. She used to say that my father wouldn't want to know Veronica either and now he loves Veronica as much as he loves me. Veronica will love you too. I promise." Nyssa told the boy, surprisingly caring.

"Okay." he nodded.

"Why don't you pack what you want to take with you? I'll arrange everything." Nyssa told the boy who nodded and got an old backpack out and started filling it with old clothes.

"I want you to stay here and bring Leanne to my father. Tell him why I stayed behind and that i'll join you as soon as possible. I'll call Veronica to warn her that I'm coming over and that she'll need your sister's help." Nyssa decided.

"Better not tell her that she has a brother until she sees him or she'll drive herself crazy before you have the time to arrive." Sara advised her.

"I know." Nyssa nodded, taking her phone out while Sara looked through the apartment for anything that could belong to Hunter.

.

Veronica was having dinner with Oliver and Moira when her phone rang. Since it was Nyssa, she excused herself from the table and answered it, figuring that it must be important.

"Sister, I'm just calling to warn you that I'm on my way. I'll meet you at the Queen's house. I have something to show you and I think you should have Laurel present. You'll need her." Nyssa explained.

"Why? What's going on?" Veronica asked her, getting worried.

"It's hard to explain on the phone and you'll only believe me once you see it. Don't worry, it's nothing bad."

"Alright. When will you be here?"

"I'm in Coast city. I'll leave in a couple of hours, we'll drive through the night and we should be there in the morning, before 8 but you should plan to have a free morning." Nyssa warned him.

"Alright, I'll arrange my schedule. Are you sure it's all good?" Veronica asked Nyssa.

"I'm sure it's not bad. See you tomorrow sister." Nyssa told her before she hung up.

"What did Nyssa want?" Oliver asked her once she came back at the table.

"I'm not sure. She's coming in the morning and she says I'll need the morning off and to have Laurel ready because we'll need her. But she added that it wasn't bad." Veronica replied.

"I guess we'll see then. I'll stay with you until she arrives and if all is well I'll go to QC while you deal with whatever it is." he smiled.

"Hopefully it's not another crisis." Moira added.

"I think she would have warned me if it were. It would fall under the bad category that she ruled out." Veronica shook her head with a smile.

.

Before they left town, Nyssa stopped at a Big Belly Burger to feed Hunter, who didn't seem to have had anything worthwhile to eat in a while, they drove through the night until they eventually arrived in front of the large Queen house.

"Are you sure she'll be happy to see me?" He asked Nyssa, a bit worried.

"She will be once I tell her about you. Don't be nervous. You'll be happy and safe now." Nyssa smiled at him.

"Okay." He nodded, still not sure if his big sister, who now lived happily in this large house with a new family that loved her, would want him in her life.

Nyssa helped him out of the car and went to ring the doorbell. Soon, the two of them where in the living room and Veronica and Oliver joined them. They started by greeting each other happily before Nyssa asked them if they had something for Hunter's breakfast. Confused as to who the boy was, Oliver and Veronica called a maid to take him to the kitchen.

"It's okay. You go eat and when you come back, I'll have explained everything to them." Nyssa assured the boy who nodded shyly and followed the maid.

"I know Laurel was supposed to be here but she's running a bit late, she should be here in a few minutes though." Veronica informed Nyssa who nodded.

"So, who's this boy?" Oliver asked.

"Veronica's little brother." Nyssa stated.

"What?" Veronica asked, surprised.

"Our father asked me to find Leanne, he wants her to answer for hiding you from him and for abandoning you in your greatest time of need. Sara and I found her in Coast city last night and found this boy hidden under her bed. He's her son, your brother and you're all he has left. I figured that bringing him to you would be better than to let him fall in the system." Nyssa explained.

"A brother... I have a little brother? How... how old is he?" Veronica asked.

"He's 6, his name is Hunter and Leanne repeated to him over and over again that you knew about him but simply didn't care. I told him the truth but I think it'll take time to convince him." Nyssa explained before she described the conditions in which Hunter had lived so far.

"He looked a bit pale." Veronica couldn't help but notice, thinking back of the few seconds she had seen him.

"Yes, your mother didn't give him the best care. It would probably be best to take him to see a doctor as soon as Laurel took care of everything." Nyssa nodded.

"I... It's such a surprise..." Veronica shook her head.

"I'll call the office and say that we're both taking the day off for a family emergency and that they can call me on my cell if there's a problem. We'll deal with everything today." Oliver replied.

With the great way Queen Consolidated was doing, they could definitely afford to take the day off, the board wouldn't bother them.

"I'm sorry but I can't stay... I have to leave, I'm supposed to join Sara so we can escort Leanne back to Nanda Parbat so she can face judgement. She can handle herself but I'd rather be with her." Nyssa apologized to her little sister.

"I understand but you should say goodbye to Hunter before you leave." Veronica replied and so they all went to join Hunter in the kitchen.

When they came in, he looked up and quickly put down his pasty, as though he was afraid of being grounded.

"Don't be scared, Hunter, you can eat as much as you want." Veronica told Hunter with a smile.

"Hunter, I have to go, I told you that I wouldn't stay, but you're in good hands, I promise you. And I'll see you again." Nyssa told the boy before she kissed his forehead and left the house.

"I'll go and call the office and wait in the living room with Laurel. I think the two of you need to talk." Oliver told Veronica.

"Would you agree with him staying with us?" She asked him.

"Of course. I'll call my mom and Thea as well but I'm sure they'll be fine with it. I'll also call the family doctor and see if he has time for us today." Oliver replied before he kissed her and left the room, phone in hand.

"Here, sit with me, Hunter." Veronica asked her little brother, patting a chair by her side.

"Are you angry at me?" he asked her in a small voice.

"Of course not. If I'm angry at anyone, it's at Leanne for having kept you hidden from me and having taken such bad care of you." Veronica replied sincerely.

"Nyssa said that you didn't know about me, that you'd want to know me if you did."

"And she was right. Would you like it? To stay here with us?" She asked him.

"I don't want to be a bother." He shook his head.

"You won't be. Oliver and I do work a lot but everything will be fine. You won't be alone and I promise you that you'll be happy. I'll do my best to make you as happy as possible. We'll find you a school that suits you and arrange a room here for you. You'll even be able to join a club or something if you want." Veronica told him.

"Really?"

"Of course. You'll have to be patient with me, I'm not used to taking care of someone else, neither is Oliver, but if we give each other a chance, we'll be fine." She nodded.

"Is Oliver your husband?" he asked.

"No, my boyfriend, but we're very serious and he'll love you too." Veronica smiled before she added:

"Now come on, finish your breakfast and when you're not hungry anymore, we'll join Oliver in the living room with a friend of mine who's going to do everything possible to allow you to say, legally, with us and make sure that Leanne can never take you back."

Hunter nodded and finished the breakfast the maid had prepared for him. Once he was done and not hungry any more, Veronica took his hand and guided him though the corridors.

"I know it's very big but we'll show you the house later. You'll be fine. I'll even draw you a map if you want." She reassured him.

"It's as big as a castle." he whispered.

"Close to one, yes. Following the map will feel like hunting for a treasure for you." She chuckled.

They entered the living room where Oliver had explained the situation to Laurel. He had also brought the boy's backpack in.

"You didn't bring much with you, Hunter." Oliver told the boy after officially greeting the boy with Laurel.

"It's all I had. Sara said not to bother taking the rest, that it was garbage and you wouldn't want me to wear it. She said to just brign the minimum and what I really want to keep." Hunter shrugged his shoulders.

"Then I guess we'll simply have to go shopping." Veronica stated with a smile.

"Thea will love that." Oliver nodded.

"Who's Thea?" Hunter asked.

"She's Oliver's sister. She's very nice, you'll like her. And I'm sure she'll love to take you shopping." Veronica smiled.

"I talked to my Mom and Thea, they're both very excited to meet you, Hunter. We'll prepare the bedroom in front of ours for you and then we'll fill it with things you'd like." Oliver declared.

"Oliver explained everything. I'll take care of the paperwork as soon as I get back to the office. I'll make sure Oliver and you get custody of Hunter. I know someone who can speed this up, someone who owes me a favor or two. It might make things easier, given his young age, if you simply adopted him, gave him your last name." Laurel advised in a whisper.

"Why don't we just get custody for now? We can handle the details later. Maybe he won't be happy with us. I don't want to rush him. It might be better to take things one step at the time." Veronica replied in a whisper.

"Alright." Laurel nodded.

.

Once Laurel left, Oliver and Veronica took Hunter on a quick tour of the house and showed him his new bedroom.

"I know it's pretty grown up for now, it used to be one of the guest rooms but we'll go shopping for furniture you'd like later today." Oliver promised the boy.

"You don't have to. I didn't even have my own bedroom before." Hunter assured them.

"Well, you will now." Veronica smiled.

"Mom and Thea will join us for lunch in town later. I know that there are boxes with my old clothes and toys in the basement, I asked the maid to bring them all up, we'll sort through it later, see what Hunter likes and wants to use." Oliver announced after looking at his phone.

"We should look at schools this afternoon too." Veronica added.

"Yes, we'll wait until we have the legal paperwork from Laurel though." Oliver nodded.

Once Hunter had seen his bedroom, they looked through a couple of the boxes that the maid had brought up and they found a couple of outfits for Hunter to wear for the day. It was not exactly up to today's fashion but it was barely worn and Hunter loved having something so good and new looking to wear. They told the maid to put the boxes in the living room, planning on going through them all later that day or the day after that. Hunter couldn't wait. Of course he loved that they'd buy him new things but the fact that Oliver, his new guardian, wanted him to have his old things made him very happy, like he mattered.

After Hunter showered and changed into one of Oliver's old outfits, they all left the house to go shopping, driven by Diggle (after he was introduced to their new charge). Hunter didn't have much and what little he had was worn out and ready to be thrown out. They bought him a few outfits and toys, figuring they'd shop for more later, once they knew more about him, his taste and once he was enough at ease with them that he wouldn't hesitate to ask for what he liked.

They used this time to get to know each other, talk about their tastes and trying to figure what activities Hunter would like to do. Veronica had called her assistant, explaining the situation to her quickly and asking for her to send them a list of schools for Hunter. They had agreed to send him to a private school.

"It's almost time for lunch, we should head to Big Belly Burger now to meet up with Thea and mom." Oliver told them after looking at his watch.

"Nyssa took me there last night before she drove me here. I had never gone before, it was very good." Hunter nodded with a big smile, more comfortable now that he had spent some time with the two of them.

"Let's go then." Veronica smiled.

They had offered for Hunter to change into one of his new outfits but he refused, he wanted to keep on wearing the one Oliver had given him earlier and so they let him. He'd have plenty of time to wear the new clothes later. Even though she wasn't willing to speak the words, Veronica was hoping that her father would punish her mother severely for what she had done, not to her, but to Hunter.

On their way to lunch, Laurel call to say that she had the temporary paperwork done and that it would be only a few days for everything to be permanent. They told her where they'd have lunch and she joined them there to bring it over. Since she had lunch plans with Tommy, she couldn't stay but promised to come by with Tommy later?

"I thought it would take longer to get the paperwork in order. Laurel must have really had good contacts." Veronica commented to Oliver.

"We've helped her a lot in her work, she probably jumped at the occasion to help us too." He replied.

The three of them entered the dinner and headed to an isolated table where Moira and Thea were already waiting with some food. Both Queen women were very happy to meet Hunter and it was quickly decided that when Veronica and Oliver were "working late" as Arrow and Karma, Hunter would stay with Moira. The elder Queen didn't mind watching over him and Hunter was eager to please and so he agreed on everything. Thea also offered to take him shopping the next day, for longer and for more things than they had today and they agreed. Veronica and Oliver had to work and if Thea took him shopping in the morning, he'd join them at the office for lunch and stay to play in a corner of the office until they could leave and do something together.

They knew that they wouldn't be able enroll him in school immediately, it would take a few days and it would take some adjustment for them but they'd be able to do it.

"So, Hunter, what do you like to do to pass the time?" Moira asked him while they all ate, trying to ignore the people staring and snapping pictures.

"I wasn't really allowed to do anything before." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, why don't we try a few things over the next few days to see what you like? Don't worry, you'll be able to do anything you like." Veronica smiled.

"At school, I liked to draw and I was the best at music, my teacher told Leanne that she should sign me up to a special music school but she insulted him and pulled me away." Hunter explained, shyly.

"Really? And did you like music?" Oliver asked him.

"I think so. Music makes sense. It's like talking, except prettier and without words." The boy replied.

"I have the list of the private schools my assistant sent me, I could ask her to select those with the best music program if you want." Veronica asked her brother.

"I think I'd like that." he nodded happily.

"Done." Veronica smiled back at him after texting her assistant.

"Well, word really does spread quickly around this town. The blogs all know about Hunter already." Thea commented after looking at her cell phone.

"What do they know?" Oliver asked, frowning.

"That he's Veronica's half brother and that the two of you will be taking care of him from now on." Thea replied.

"Don't worry Hunter, just ignore them and if you get too scared, just call for me, Oliver or John Diggle, alright?" Veronica asked her brother.

"Okay." He nodded.

"So, now that Hunter is with the family, you two realize that there's something that you can't pull off anymore, right?" Thea asked and Oliver started to worry, hoping his sister wouldn't ruin his proposal surprise.

"The puppy! You need to get the dog now!" Thea smiled.

"You're getting a dog?" Hunter asked them.

"We are, yes. Do you like dogs?"Oliver asked him.

"I do. But only big dogs. I don't like the small ones, they always bark a lot and bite. The big ones are nice." Hunter replied, making Veronica smile.

"You two are so related." Thea smiled.

Hunter seemed to get along well with the two other members of the family and when they parted ways after lunch, he was eager to see them again in the evening.

"So, where do we start now?" Oliver asked when they sat back in the car.

"We'll stop by the school. It's the best elementary school with a music program in this town. My assistant got us a meeting with the headmistress to see if Hunter would like to study there." Veronica replied.

"As long as Hunter likes it, we'll convince her to take him." Oliver nodded, knowing that his name could buy a lot in this town.

Hunter was quiet and it worried Veronica.

"Whats wrong, Hunter?"

"I just don't want to embarrass you. Leanne always said that I embarrassed her." He replied.

"You could never embarrass us." Oliver and Veronica replied at the same time before Veronica added:

"Just be yourself and everything will be fine. We'll always be proud of you, as long as you are your best self."

Hunter nodded and tried to hide his worry the rest of the way.

.

When they arrived at the school, the Headmistress started by taking the three of them on a tour of the school, then, while she spoke with Veronica and Oliver, Hunter stayed with one of the teacher who started testing him to evaluate his level in different subjects. After a couple of hours, Veronica and Oliver were sitting, with Hunter, in front of the Headmistress.

"I have to say that we'd be very happy to welcome Hunter here but considering his gift in music, there are a couple of other schools that would suit him better. He's a very smart boy who registers everything he's told very quickly, learns it and uses it well. It would be a shame to limit him to this school when he could do much better in one of these." The headmistress informed them, giving them two pamphlets for boarding schools that, according to her, would suit Hunter better.

"These are boarding schools..." Veronica noticed.

"They are. I know that this is a hard decision to make and even if you chose one of these schools, Hunter probably wouldn't be able to go there before a few weeks so we can take him here. We'll be happy to welcome him here, let it be for a few weeks or for the rest of his education. But keep in mind that Hunter is a very gifted boy, you should give him every chance." The Headmistress explained.

"We'll talk about it together and keep you informed." Veronica nodded with a smile.

Since Hunter liked this school, they signed him up to start at the beginning of the next week and took care of the paperwork before they left to go get an ice-cream.

The young boy was very excited about his new school and he was more than happy to use Veronica's last name.

Once they had eaten their ice cream, they went to the doctor to make sure that Hunter was in good health. Despite being a bit underfed, he didn't have any major illness, which reassured everyone. When they left the doctor's office, they finally bought the dog Oliver had promised Veronica. After a while, she chose another pitbull, a little female who was very excited to have a new family.

"How are you going to name her?" Hunter asked Veronica on the way back home with everything the dog would need.

They had ordered some food, a few toys and a dog bed to be delivered at their office for the next day.

"I always wanted a pony. What do you say pup, do you like Pony?" Veronica asked the puppy who licked her.

"I think she does." Hunter chuckled.

"I guess our dog will be named Pony then." Oliver smiled.

Once they got home, they helped Hunter carry everything to his bedroom, then, they all played a little with Pony until Moira came home. Veronica and Oliver took the night off vigilante-ing and spent it as a family, with Hunter. They shopped online for new furniture for his bedroom and made sure he'd like it.

"Are you sure that you don't mind Hunter living here with us, Moira? With him and Pony, we're kind of invading your home." Veronica asked Moira while Hunter played outside with Pony and Oliver.

"Of course not, Veronica! On the contrary, it's bringing life back to this house and it needed it. I love having you and Oliver living here with us. Trust me, I like it much better than the alternative, which is you two moving out and leaving me and Thea alone in this big house." Moira replied, hugging Veronica.

"And you're sure you don't mind keeping an eye on Hunter when we're Karma and Arrow?"

"Not at all. I have a feeling that he'll be very easy to watch over and at least, this way, I won't be alone. He'll keep me company." She smiled.

"Then everything's sorted. We'll take him to school in the morning, then go to the office. Thea will pick him up after school, Diggle will do it when she can't. They'll take him for a snack and then bring it to the office. He'll stay with us until you go home. You'll either pick him up or we'll drop him off, depending on our schedule." Veronica smiled.

"Oliver mentioned a boarding school being talked about?"

"Yes, apparently Hunter is a smart boy, very gifted in the music department and he has the capacity to learn quickly. The Headmistress gave us pamphlets for two boarding schools that would be best to help him develop his gift. Oliver and I need to talk about it with him, see what he prefers." Veronica explained.

"It's not an easy decision." Moira nodded.

"Exactly, I want him to have the best but I don't want him to feel like we're sending him away. I want him to know that we love him and want him in our lives." Veronica replied.

"I'm sure you'll do great, honey." Moira assured her before she hugged her once more and they both went in the garden to watch Oliver on his back, Pony and Hunter on top of him.

"Bested, finally! I should tell Barry." Veronica laughed while Oliver smiled happily at her.

"What can I say, they're stronger than me." he replied, pleasing Hunter.

.

When Hunter finally went to bed, Veronica and Oliver went with him.

"Hunter, I want you to think hard about what the Headmistress said over the next few days. We're very happy to have you here with us but if what you want is to go to a Boarding school to study even more music, then it's what you'll have. We want you to be happy and to have everything you deserve. So, if you decide to stay here, you will and if you decide to go to Boarding school, you'll come back here every weekend and during the vacations. We'll visit you and we'll get you a cell phone so that we can call you every day and so you can call us anytime you want. You'd also be able to change your mind later. It's your choice entirely." Veronica told him.

"It's my choice? And I can decide to stay here, you won't be disappointed in me?" He asked her.

"Absolutely. We'll be happy and proud of you, no matter which decision you make." Oliver assured him.

"Take your time, Hunter. Think it over a few days before you make a decision." Veronica smiled.

"Veronica, Oliver, me being here with you... Does it mean that I'll be your son now? Are you my new parents?" He asked them shyly.

"Of course, if that's what you want." Oliver nodded, feeling a weird new feeling inside him at the prospect of being this child's father figure.

"We'll always be there for you, Hunter. We'll be honored to be your parents, but if you feel more comfortable with..." Veronica started, only to be interrupted by him:

"No! I mean, I'd love to have parents and today... It was a great day. I'll be very happy if you agreed to be my parents."

"Then we will be." Veronica smiled with Oliver.

"Have a good night now. Tomorrow, we'll be going to the office around 9. We'll wake you up before we go and you'll be able to spend the day with Thea. Is that okay? She'll bring you back to the office after lunch and you'll be able to draw there." Oliver reminded you.

"Will we take Pony too?" Hunter asked.

"No, Pony is going to come to the office with us directly, we want her to get used to it." Veronica replied.

"Good night." Hunter told them before they both kissed his forehead and left the room.

Veronica and Oliver spent the rest of the night relaxing in the living room. They didn't need to talk about Hunter, they knew the other well enough to know what they were thinking. They knew that they agreed and that everything would be fine. They hadn't expected to have a child so soon, but today had proven that they were ready. In her corner of the room, Pony was chewing on one of the new toy they had bought her, one that was an exact replica of a toy Back-up had had when he was alive.

"What do you want him to do?" Oliver asked Veronica a little later as they walked Pony in the garden together.

"I don't know. I don't really have an opinion, I just want him to be happy, to make the decision that suits him. I think he should try the Boarding school though, to see if Music is really what he wants to study. But because he's gifted in a subject, it doesn't mean that he needs to study it all the time or to like it. I just want him to be happy." She shrugged her shoulders.

"I agree with you. He should at least try to go though... Like you said, it's the best way for him to know if he likes it or not." Oliver smiled.

"A lot changed in so little time." She sighted.

"I know, but I think we've adapted pretty well." He replied.

"Do you think we should tell him that we're Karma and Arrow?"

"I don't know. Not right away, I think that we should wait a bit first. We'll consider it when he starts asking questions about why we're always home late and often have bruises." He suggested.

"He'll probably take it well. He knows about Nyssa and the League, he knows they saved him and I think he'll be able to keep our secret."

"I know. Now come on, we should head to bed. We have a meeting with Bruce Wayne in the morning." Oliver replied, calling Pony back as well.

Listening, the dog rushed to them and followed them to the bedroom. Once they arrived, they pet the dog and showed her once more where her bed was, in the corridor, next to their bedroom door. Pony immediately went on it and the couple went in their bedroom and closed the door for the night.

.

The next morning, everything went as they had planned, which was a good thing. Oliver and Veronica arrived on time at the office and were able to catch up on what they had missed the previous day before their meeting with Bruce Wayne later in the morning.

When Bruce Wayne arrived, they all heading to the meeting room to discuss a potential partnership both company wanted. The discussion went well and the three of them got along pretty well until Bruce seemed to suddenly freeze, his eyes on Veronica's cleavage.

"What's going on?" She asked him while Oliver wondered if he had a new rival.

"The necklace." Bruce replied, his eyes not leaving it.

Veronica almost forgot that she was wearing it, she never took it off since Raz placed it around her neck the day he recognized her as his child. It was the one who labelled her as heir to the demon.

"You know what this is?" Oliver asked the other billionaire.

"You're Talia's sister? I knew of Nyssa but I didn't know she had another..." Bruce replied.

"You know the league?" Veronica asked him.

"I guess we have a lot to talk about..." Oliver stated.

"I only recently learned that Raz was my father, he didn't know about me before that. Nyssa told me a lot about Talia but I haven't met her. How do you know Talia?" Veronica asked Bruce.

"I met her when I joined the League to train. I wanted to be strong enough to get justice for my parents." Bruce replied.

"They were killed in front of you when you were a kid." Oliver remembered.

"Yes. I trained, I was rather good and Raz knew from the beginning what I wanted. He agreed to train me without me having to serve the League. I went home once I completed my training and..." Bruce hesitated there but Veronica saw right through him.

"You're Batman, aren't you? You trained with the League, went home, became Batman and are now your city's vigilante."

"How?" he asked, trying to decide if he'd have to kill the two of them.

"She's smart. And... I'm Arrow, she's Karma." Oliver informed him.

"We've been looking for other people like us over the past few months. We've established contact with quite a few. Kind of like a private club of people who watch over their own cities that you can call if the problems in your city become too much." Veronica explained.

"That's actually a good idea." Bruce nodded.

"Listen, why don't we finish our initial meeting for now? If you want, meet us tonight. We'll show you our base, introduce you to the people working with us and tell you how to contact the others, if you want." Oliver suggested.

"That's a good idea, thanks." Bruce nodded, going back the the contracts they were presently negotiating.

They finished their meeting and Bruce was about to go to a hotel when Oliver invited him to stay at their house. Of course Bruce accepted the offer and he went to tour the town before he met up with them at the end of the day.

After lunch, John arrived with Hunter, who was more than happy to see Veronica and Oliver again. He quietly set up at a little table in Veronica's office and when John came to take Pony for a walk because Veronica and Oliver were too busy, Hunter decided to go with him.

"Are you sure it doesn't bother you, Dig?" Veronica asked their friend, bodyguard and driver.

"Of course not. It's good practice for when Lyla finally gives birth to the little one, which should be any moment now." John smiled, taking the dog's leash and the boy's hand in each hand.

"Hunter is surprisingly quiet for such a young boy. I remember when I was his age and came here for a few hours, I was running everywhere and driving everyone crazy." Oliver commented.

"I know, it's probably because of the way Leanne raised him. I hope he'll learn to have fun and not be so shy soon."

"Well, he's not shy around Dig and he seems to love playing with Pony. He'll be fine as long as we stay with him." Oliver reassured her.

"I know. Here, you need to read this over. I highlighted the part I didn't agree with." She handed him a file before he went back to his side of their office.

"I don't even know why we put this door, we never close it." Oliver declared as he crossed it.

"Probably in case we start arguing and need time apart." She chuckled.

"When that day arrives, I hope I'll do the smart thing and agree with you." He smiled.

"Should I get this in writing? Make you sign it?" She joked.

.

The rest of the afternoon passed rather quietly. Bruce went to hang out at Verdant. Thea had offered for him to us the closed club to do whatever work he had to do and the vigilante agreed, eager to know more about this city and its well worked team of Vigilante. It was different for him, he was used to working alone, the only one who helped him was Alfred, and he wasn't going on the field with him.

Of course he had heard of Karma and Arrow and the concept had intrigued him. Both Vigilantes, working together, dating and now he could see that they dated in their everyday life as well. Could he have this one day? He had dreamt of this once. Selina was gifted and if she wasn't spending so much time stealing precious objects, she'd make a great vigilante. the few times they had worked together had been great, fun and exciting. He couldn't help but think that Oliver was a lucky man to have this every day.

As he drank the water Thea had brought him, Roy, who was Arsenal and worked with Karma and Arrow, answered Bruce's questions about their team, knowing that he could trust him if Oliver and Veronica did.

"I have to say that I kind of envy you all. Don't get me wrong, I like working alone but you all seem to be a great team. Well practiced. It must be nice sometimes not to be alone." Bruce told Roy.

"It is. It made it easier when Slade Wilson tried to destroy the town with the Mira Kuru soldiers. I think this is why V and Oliver went to look for other Vigilantes. If everyone keeps in touch, when something happens that someone doesn't understand, there's always someone else that can help and if another city is overran by villains, we can team up and take care of it much faster." Roy replied.

"True." Bruce nodded.

"Mac, she works at QC too and is quite the computer genius, she's working on a program that only the people she gives it too will be able to access. It will allow us all to put our information in common and to contact each other quicker." Roy added.

"Like Facebook for Vigilantes?" Bruce asked with a smirk.

"You could say that. It should help those of us who don't know how to hack government databases." Roy smiled.

.

Once they were done with work at Queen Consolidated, Veronica and Oliver went to get dinner with Hunter, explaining to him that a friend of theirs was in town and that they needed to spend some time with him but that he'd be with Moira. The boy understood and was even happier when they agreed to let him take Pony home with him. Moira came to pick up the boy once they were done eating and so Veronica and Oliver went to their lair, where Bruce was already waiting with Roy and Mac.

"Hey, where's Dig? I thought he was with you." Mac asked them as soon as they arrived.

"He went to take care of Lyla. She wasn't feeling very well. John Junior might be making his grand entrance soon." Veronica replied.

"Your team seems well organized. I like the couch." Bruce complimented.

"Well, we only put it here recently. It's useful sometimes." Oliver replied.

"It makes it homier." Veronica nodded.

"I have a glass case similar to this one for my own suit." He commented, pointing to their own suits presented around the room.

"I was showing him the other Vigilantes you've found and contacted so far." Mac added.

"Looks like you're going to have an occasion to work with us. The cops are very busy tonight." Roy got their attention by pointing at the screen.

"Three robberies in progress at three different corners of the city, a fire and a couple of aggression." Mac explained.

"Tell Lance that we'll take care of the museum. I think I know who it is, it'll be quick we should be able to hot several other spots after it." Veronica said before she rushed to get changed.

"I guess we'll take the Museum, it's close to the other calls so we'll be able to go somewhere else quickly later, the cops will be able to handle the other spots. Roy, you'll take this one? You're coming, Bruce?" Oliver asked their new friend while Roy, already dressed, was more than ready to go.

"Why not." Bruce nodded, getting his own suit out of the bag he carried with him.

.

When they arrived at the museum, less than 10 minutes later, the robbery was still in progress.

"Are you going to let us know who it is now, Honey?" Oliver asked Veronica.

"I've been watching out for this diamond as soon as they announced it was brought here. I know someone who is always interesting in things like this and he loves a challenge. The security around this diamond is definitely a challenge. I knew it would catch his eye. Just let me handle it. We won't have to fight this one." Veronica replied.

"Watch and learn I guess." Batman commented with an amused smile while Oliver replied:

"As you wish my Love."

"Fancy seeing you here." Karma declared as she dropped behind the thief, not disguising her voice.

"And who would you be?" He asked.

He was wearing a big winter jacket, a pair of glasses and had a fancy gun in his hand.

"Oh come on, don't tell me you've forgotten about me already! I know I'm masked now but I must have made an impression when you worked with me to close the Saltmen case. I thought the few times we worked together would have marked your mind." Karma stated and the two vigilantes behind her could hear a familiarity in her voice.

"Mars? I should have guessed you'd become one of those masked freaks." He replied, putting his gun down.

"Nice to see you again Snart. Now I'm sorry but I can't let you take this. This is my city, I have to protect it."

"I guess I do owe you one." he sighted.

"You never steal or kill in my city and my friends and I don't go after you. Deal?" She offered.

"Fine, deal. There are plenty other cities after all." He nodded.

"You know you have it in you to do more than this, right? You could be so much more than a thief, Lenny." She assured him.

"I'm not a hero." He frowned.

"Maybe not, but you could continue what we did together. Work to protect abused children from their abusive parents like we did with the Saltmen." She insisted.

"Not my style. Anyway, if I can't steal in your city, I guess I should leave. My sister is doing recon in Coast City. See you later, _Karma_." Snart told her before he simply walked out.

"So, want to explain how you met him?" Oliver asked her while the three of them rushed to the site of a war between gangs.

"It was a few years ago, right after I met Thea, back when you were still officially dead. I crossed him right when I started working for a couple of grandparents who wanted to prove that their son in law was abusing his children after his wife died. I ran into Snart and, long story short, he ended up helping me, probably because his father used to abuse him and his sister back when their were kids. It took us a couple of weeks and so we had time to get to know each other. Nothing happened, we're just friendly, friend-ish. Not enemies. Anyway, I helped put his father in jail right after that, right after he hurt Leonard's sister. That's why he feels like he owes me. We did work on a couple of similar cases together and I might have pointed him in the direction of Neptune, giving him a few indications to help him steal from the deserving like Madison Sinclair and the others." She explained.

"Well, I'm hoping that our next stop shows me more action than this. I can't wait to see how the two of you do in a fight." Bruce told them, amused.

.

"Wow, we kick ass together! It was so cool!" Roy exclaimed once they were all back in the lair.

Indeed, they had ended the night, the four of them together, fighting against a gang that was robbing a nightclub full of people.

"I thought that Oliver was a little slow reaching the guy that was beating up the owner." Bruce stated.

"That might be because he beat me up once I came back. Of course I might have deserved it because, before I went missing, I slept with his fiance during the rehearsal dinner, but aren't you supposed to forgive and forget once they guy comes back from the dead?" Oliver replied cheerfully, making them all laugh.

"Does that mean that you're joining our little club?" Mac asked Bruce.

"I think so, yes. It is nice to know that you can count on someone if your villains become too much for you or if you get sick or something. I'll give your names to Alfred too, so he knows to trust you if anything happens." Bruce replied.

Bruce had thought about taking an "apprentice" a few times but each time, he had backed off, thinking that maybe it would be better if he stayed alone. Seeing Arrow, karma and everyone around them working together gave him hope for his own future. Maybe he shouldn't stay alone after all.

"For now I'll give you an USB drive with the info of everyone we've reached. Once I complete the program and am sure it's protected enough, I'll send it to you." Mac replied.

"Great." Bruce nodded.

After that, they all said goodnight, Mac went home while Oliver, Veronica and Bruce dropped Roy off at Verdant and went to have a drink there, before they finally went home. Journalist were only too happy to snap pictures of Oliver Queen and Bruce Wayne having a drink together. It was something they couldn't see very often and, the next day, pictures of the three of them laughing together would be sen everywhere.

On the way, Veronica explained to him who Hunter was and how she had found out about him.

"And now your little brother is like your adoptive son?" Bruce asked her.

"I'm still a little uncomfortable with the label of 'son' but yes, I guess he is."

"Well, anyway, I'm very happy about my stay in Star City. Wayne enterprises and Queen consolidated made a great deal and tonight was great. Fun." Bruce smiled.

When they arrived, Pony was up and came to greet them with a low bark.

"I'll take her out quickly." Veronica stated.

"Alright, I'll show Bruce to his room." Oliver nodded and kissed her.

"Goodnight Bruce, see you tomorrow." Veronica waved at him while Pony royally ignored the guest, too focused on her mistress showing her the way out.

When Oliver and Bruce walked by Hunter's bedroom door, it opened.

"'liver?" the young boy asked, half asleep.

"Yes, it's me buddy. Why aren't you asleep?" He asked him.

"I had a nightmare. Leanne had superpowers and she came after me. She wanted to hurt me." Hunter replied.

"Well, you know that would never happen. Even if she discovered herself some superpowers, Arrow and Karma, Flash, Arsenal and all of their friends wouldn't let that happen." Oliver replied as he carried the boy back to bed, watched by Bruce, who stood by the door, kind of wishing he could have moments like this too.

"How do you know?" The boy asked him.

"Because they're our friends. Veronica and I know them." Oliver whispered.

"Even Batman?" The boy asked him with a big smile.

"Yes, even him."

"What if I go to the boarding school to learn music, will they protect me too?"

"Of course they will. There are two great boarding schools that you could choose in this country and Veronica checked it out. One is very close to Vixen and the other is not that far away from Central city so in case of an emergency, the Flash could be there in only a few minutes." Oliver confessed.

"And Veronica won't be sad that I'm gone all week?"

"Of course not. You'll be able to call her everyday, you'll come home on the weekends, during vacations..."

"I think I'll want to go." Hunter told him.

"You can tell us tomorrow buddy. Now it's late and you need to sleep." Oliver smiled at him.

"I love you 'Liver. I'm glad you're my dad now." Hunter replied as he fell asleep.

"I love you too Hunter. Sleep well." Oliver replied.

"You're a lucky man, Oliver. What you have here, Veronica, your family, this boy... I kind of envy you." Bruce told him sincerely.

"You can have it too. You just need to find the right person. Someone that can love and accept both sides of you." Oliver replied.

"I know... I... I had doubts before, about the possibility of it all, but you've convinced me." Bruce nodded, thinking of having a serious talk with Selina once he got back home.

"You boys are still here? What, did you get lost in your own house honey?" Veronica asked Oliver while Pony went in her doggy bad in the corridor.

"Hunter had a nightmare, it woke him up. He's fine now." Oliver replied.

"What was it about?" Veronica asked, worried.

"Your mother coming back with superpowers." Oliver replied.

"Right now she's in Nanda Parbat with dad, I doubt that she'll get out of it alive. He has nothing to worry about." Veronica shook her head, untouched by her mother's destiny.

"Oliver told him that he was friends with the Vigilantes of the country and that he'd be safe wherever he went." Bruce informed her.

"That's true too." Veronica smiled.

"Alright, I think it's well time I got some sleep. We all have a big day tomorrow. Good night." Bruce told them, seeing that the couple probably wanted to be alone for a while.

"Goodnight Bruce. Tomorrow, you'll be able to taste a breakfast cooked by Oliver himself."

"You can cook too?" Bruce asked, surprised.

"It's my best kept secret." Oliver nodded with a smile.

"Can't wait, goodnight." Bruce told them.

.

The next morning, Bruce left to go back to Gotham, promising to stay in touch with Team Arrow and Oliver and Veronica went to work after kissing Hunter good morning. It wasn't until later afternoon, when the couple was about to head home with the boy, that they stopped in a park to take the time to speak with him.

"Oliver told me that you've made your decision?" Veronica asked her brother and new charge.

"I did. I want to go to Boarding school. You said I could go and come back if I don't like it. I'd like to try." He replied calmly.

"Yes, of course. I want you to be happy and like I said, if you don't like it, you can always come back here and we'll sign you up to a normal school." Veronica smiled.

"Which one will I go to? Oliver said that there was two schools." Hunter asked.

"We looked at them today and we both think that the one near Central City is the best one." Oliver replied.

"Okay." The boy nodded.

"Now, why don't we go home? Pony seems hungry and I'm sure you are too." Veronica suggested.

.

Since the Queen name was an important one, they were able to register Hunter the week after that and the young boy was able to start a day later. Veronica and Oliver used this opportunity to visit their friends in Central city before they went home, hoping that everything would go well for Hunter in his new school, that he'd make new friends and like it.

Before they left Hunter in school, they introduced him to Barry, telling Hunter, and the school, that if they couldn't be reached and someone needed to come quickly, Barry was allowed to come and act in their behalf. It reassured Hunter to know that a friend of his sister would come if he needed it.

* * *

 **So, this chapter was a pretty long one, wasn't it? I probably should have cut it in two but I couldn't decide on where to cut it. I have material to go up to chapter 27...**

 **Please leave a review to let me know if you like the way I introduced Hunter.**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	23. Proposals

**_Proposals_**

* * *

Hunter's first few weeks in school went pretty well and, each time he came back for the weekend, he couldn't stop talking about his new friends and his classes. He was already doing well in every one of his classes and his new guardians couldn't help but be very proud of him. His first grades were good as well, just like they had been told, he learned quickly and was a very bright student, not only in music but in all of the subjects he studied. This school seemed to be a perfect fit for him and he loved it.

Since Veronica and Oliver had the week to themselves, free to be Arrow and Karma without restraint, they tried to spend as much time as they could with Hunter on the weekend, unless a special crisis demanded their attention, of course. Quickly, they created a bond between them and the boy felt quickly comfortable enough calling them _mom_ and _dad_ instead of Oliver and Veronica. The two adults knew that they'd have to talk about adoption soon but Oliver waited until after he had proposed to Veronica. He had taken Hunter aside one day and asked him if it was something he'd like, to be a Queen, to be his adoptive son. Of course the boy jumped in joy and agreed, understanding that he'd have to wait for Oliver to propose to Veronica and that he'd have to keep the secret.

Once, Moira had to meet up with the mayor of Central city and so she used that opportunity to visit Hunter, who was surprised but also happy to spend the afternoon with his adoptive grandmother. She took him for ice cream and to the park before she took him back to the boarding school and headed back to Star city.

Lyla had given birth to her baby boy a couple of weeks ago and they had gone to visit them during the weekend, with Hunter, who was very happy to be able to meet the baby. He understood very well that John Diggle was more than a driver and bodyguard to Oliver and Veronica, he was a member of their family and so his son would be a part of his family too. It made the little boy very happy to see his new family growing so fast.

.

That Friday afternoon, Veronica went to pick up Hunter with Laurel, because they wanted to pick up something in Central City together for Thea's birthday and so Oliver saw this as the perfect opportunity to go and pick up the ring he had ordered, a while back, for Veronica. A friend of his, Constantine, had given him the name of someone he knew that could make it perfectly, even though it would take time and now, Oliver had the ring he had drawn for the woman he loved. It had taken him a while to draw the perfect one and even longer to get it done because the man used special materials, known to be able to deflect some magic and to protect the wearer.

It was a three part ring he had drawn himself and decided on each single detail and material. One that would be Veronica's engagement ring, a second, smaller one, that would be Karma's engagement ring and the last one, the wedding band, that would tie the other two together. The ring was made of Gold and had several emerald jewels on it but it was also small enough that she'd be able to wear it comfortably under her Karma gloves. On the inside, he had engraved their names, the date of the first time they met and _I love you_ , each on a different ring and they'd all come together once the ring was complete.

"It looks very pretty." Tommy complimented when he saw it.

"I know, and I'll be able to propose to her tomorrow night, it'll be perfect." Oliver replied.

"How so?" His best friend asked him.

"Hunter will be there, so will Lilly. Duncan's going on a mission and he asked Veronica to watch over Lilly for a few days. John and Lyla will also come over for dinner with Baby John Junior, so will you and Laurel. Thea's invited Roy... The only family members we'll be missing will be Raz and Nyssa, but they know it's happening and are fine with it." Oliver explained.

"What about Mac?"

"She can't make it, she has to go to Neptune for her parent's wedding anniversary or something like that but she doesn't mind missing this proposal as long as she can be there for the second one and the wedding." Oliver replied with a smile.

"Do you know when you'll ask her? I mean, before we eat or after?"

"During the dessert. I'm making it and the ring will be on top of her chocolate souffle. It's her favorite dessert, she loves it when I make it."

"I doubt she'll look at the dessert with that ring on top of it." Tommy smiled, amused.

"Oh, she'll eat it." Oliver smiled back, knowing the woman he loved very well.

She never said no to dessert, especially if he had cooked it himself. Especially if it was chocolate.

.

"So Hunter, how was your week?" Laurel asked the boy as they drove back home.

"Great, I love this school, it's always great and Mom and dad call me every day, it's great. I can even call them during the day if I miss them or need advise. And for the first time I have a few friends!" Hunter replied with a smile, making Veronica smile too.

"That's great. Have you already met Lilly?" She asked him, knowing that the 11 years old girl would be waiting for them at Queen mansion.

"I only saw a picture but she seems nice." Hunter replied, eager to finally meet his sister/new mother's godchild.

"She is and I'm sure the two of you will get along well. Plus, Pony will be more than happy to play with the two of you." Veronica told him with a smile.

"Is dad cooking dinner tonight? He said it was going to be special." Hunter asked her.

"Well, a few people will be there and I know that he's making dessert. He told you it was going to be special?" Veronica replied.

"Yes, he told me so last night." He nodded.

"Really? Did he tell you why?" Veronica was curious now.

"He said it was a surprise, a good surprise." Hunter replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Then I guess we'll see what's so special about tonight's dinner then." Veronica said, trusting Oliver enough not to worry about a secret.

.

As soon as they arrived, Hunter rushed to put his bag in his bedroom before he went outside to play with Pony and Oliver.

"Duncan called, Lyla will bring us Lilly. He was going to do it himself earlier this afternoon but he had to leave earlier than planned. Lyla will bring her over when she comes for dinner tonight with her bag for the next few days." Thea explained when they arrived.

"Why didn't he call me?" Veronica asked, her brows furred.

"I'm not sure but... Did he tell you what his mission was about?"

"No, I just know that he'll have a few Suicide Squad members with him. Why?" Veronica shook her head.

"I don't know... I know that I don't know Duncan that well, I might be wrong about this but his voice... It just seemed a bit... I don't know... Wrong, I guess. Like he was trying to sound okay when he was actually really worried or scared." Thea replied.

"Are you sure?"

"That's how I saw it. That, or he was sick." She nodded.

"I won't be able to reach him if he's already on mission, I'll ask Lyla about it when she arrives and see what happens when he comes back."

Veronica tried not to say ' _if he comes back_ ' but she knew that it was always a possibility. A few years earlier, back when Duncan started to work for Argus, the secret organisation had asked him to put his affairs in order and for him, that meant mainly deciding who would take care of his daughter if anything tragic was to happen to him. Back then, he had warned Veronica that he had designated her to look after Lilly shall anything happen to him. She knew that she'd get everything he now owned, no matter how things had evolved with his parents recently but she refused to think about it too much. She didn't feel ready to lose another friend. Especially not Duncan, her first love, her first heartbreak, her oldest friend alive, one of the last person she had to link her to Lilly Kane, to her childhood and to her innocence.

Veronica smiled when she saw Oliver and Tommy in the garden, playing with Hunter and Pony.

"They're cute, aren't they?" Laurel asked her.

She had already gone to the door to watch while Thea spoke with Veronica.

"Yes, they are. I can't believe how easily Oliver accepted Hunter. He already treats him like a son. Loves him like a son." Veronica whispered her reply.

"Because it was meant to be, just like the two of you." Thea stated naturally.

They watched for a few more minutes before Roy arrived and decided to join the men outside in their fun game.

Half an hour later, Moira came back from work and soon, John and Lyla arrived with Lilly and John Junior.

Veronica called Hunter back in the house and the boy, along with the young dog, arrived quickly to meet the young Lilly Kane, goddaughter of Veronica. They had over 4 years of age difference but it didn't stop the two of them from getting along, mainly because of Veronica and Pony. They rushed away to play and get to know each other while Veronica was free to ask Lyla questions about Duncan's mission.

Lyla quickly told her that she didn't know the specifics of this particular mission, she was still on maternity leave after all, but she knew that it was a serious one because they had put him at the head of the most dangerous and vicious members of the suicide squad.

"Try not to worry too much, Veronica. Duncan is a great team leader, he's learned a lot over the past few years and he's more than capable of completing his missions." Lyla tried to reassure her.

"I know, I just... Thea said that he sounded off on the phone and since he didn't try to call me, I figured that he was trying to hide something from me..." Veronica replied.

"He probably was trying not to worry you." Lyla replied.

"You're probably right." Veronica smiled back at her friend's wife and guided her to the living room, where the adults were assembled to have appetizers while JJ slept in his father's arms and Lilly and Hunter played with Pony.

After a while, they all went to the living room to eat dinner, all the while keeping their conversations alive and light. As they got closer to dessert, Oliver did his best to show how nervous he was. He knew that if Veronica noticed his nervousness, she'd start thinking about the possible reasons behind it and it could ruin his surprise, so he did his best to hide it and counted on his friends to keep her too busy to notice his nervousness as well.

When it was time for the maid to bring dessert, Oliver pretended he had to answer his phone and only came back once the maid entered with the tray full of souffle. While she gave each guest one, Oliver revealed that he already had one in his hand, one bigger then the others and he headed straight for Veronica who turned in her seat curiously. She could see that he was nervous and that everyone was watching expectantly and she understood why when she spotted the sparkly jewelry on top of her dessert, in a pretty case.

"Veronica, my love, you know that I cooked tonight's dessert. I made your favorite, hoping you'd find this a perfect moment, because you deserve everything to be perfect. I love you more than I'd ever thought I'd love anyone and I can't imagine my life without you in it. I know that we're already happy the way we are but I can't help but want more. I want you to be a Queen, I want you to be my queen. Veronica, will you marry me?" Oliver declared, presenting her with the chocolate delicacy while he kneeled in front of her.

"Just so you know, if you say no, you don't get the dessert." Thea joked, making everyone chuckled.

"I love you Oliver. You know that I don't believe in marriage, especially because of my previous job, but with you, it's all different. I love you so much... more than I thought possible. I... yes, I'd love to marry you." She replied, getting on her knees as well so she could kiss Oliver, who placed the plate on the table and took the ring to place it on her finger while everyone else clapped happily, waiting to be able to congratulate them.

As soon as the couple stood up, everyone came to congratulate them.

"I knew you'd be my real sister some day. I'm so glad you found me in that bar that night." Thea whispered in Veronica's ear as she hugged her tightly, making the blond blush.

"I know you were waiting for something like this to talk about officially adopting Hunter and giving him your name. I can have everything ready for you by the time you get married. You could do it all at once." Laurel told the couple as soon as she was able to hug and congratulate them both.

"Thank you Laurel. We'll tell you as soon as we have a date." Veronica nodded.

"Thank you for making sure I was here for this." Lilly whispered in Oliver's ear while she hugged him, followed by Hunter who was happy to know that they'd soon be a real family.

.

"Are you okay, Laurel?" Tommy asked her when he spotted his girlfriend watching the couple from afar.

"Yes, of course. I'm very happy for them. But just so we're on the same page, I'm not ready for us to take this step yet." She replied with a smile.

"Good, because I don't think I am either." he smiled, slightly reassured.

"One day though, why not." Laurel added before she kissed Tommy and joined Thea and Moira.

A few minutes later, a yellow lightning sprang through the room and revealed Barry Allen.

"I got your text Oliver, figured I come and congratulate the two of you myself." Barry announced with a smile.

"You do know that you just revealed yourself in front of everyone,right?" Veronica asked him as she let him hug her.

"Well, they're your friends and you trust them. I'm sure the kids will keep the secret." He replied, looking at Lilly and Hunter who nodded their heads vigorously.

"Well, come and join the party Barry. They're plenty left to eat and drink." Oliver told his friend.

"Thanks, I can use the break. Between seeing Iris and her boyfriend happy together and fighting all the metahumans in Central City, I couldn't wait for an excuse to get out of town for a moment." Barry explained.

"What's the latest one?" Laurel asked him.

"We had so many crazy ones... A man who can turn himself into a deadly fog, a man who controls the weather, and now a Gorilla who can control people's minds." Barry replied.

"You make it seem like we're lucky." Moira smiled.

"But we have Arrow and Karma here and their team. Do you have a team too? Why are you alone?" Hunter asked Barry, reminding the Flash that he didn't know that his sister and Oliver were Karma and Arrow.

"I do have a team, who's in Star-labs and helps me but you're right, I'm alone on the streets against the criminals. It's okay though, I know Arrow and Karma will come and help me if I need help." Barry replied.

"Cool." Hunter and Lilly said and smiled.

.

The rest of the night was cheerful and they improvised a small party to celebrate the couple's engagement. Moira was happy for her family, for the way things had become lately.

"Do we have to make some sort of public announcement that we are engaged or do we let people find out on their own?" Veronica asked Oliver that night when they were alone in their bedroom.

"I guess we could do either. Usually there's some sort of public announcement. However I think it's too late to keep it secret. Thea's already twitted about it several times tonight. There's even a picture of your ring on the dessert, on your finger, a picture of us hugging and kissing..." Oliver replied.

"I guess that's done then. We don't need to make a big deal out of it, do we?"

"Of course not. It's not your style. Before the Island, it was the way I would have done it, so people would talk about me, but not anymore." Oliver replied honestly.

"But won't your mother want for us to put it in the newspaper? I mean, all of her friends do it this way."

"She's prefer it of course but if we decide not to do it, she'll accept it. I know you don't like to make a big deal out of things." Oliver reassured her.

"I don't, that's true but I guess I could accept a small article, for her sake."

"I love you." Was all Oliver replied, knowing that she was accepting this for his mother, because she loved his family as much as she loved him, as much as he loved her.

.

Duncan's mission had been intense and the few days he had been gone felt like a month instead of a week. When he arrived to pick-up his daughter at Veronica's, he learned that Oliver had proposed and that they were now engaged. Of course he was happy for her, for the both of them, though he couldn't help but think that, had things been different, it could have been him.

Once upon a time, he had dreamt of the way he'd propose to her, of their wedding day and of the life they'd have together. But then his sister had been killed and everything changed. There had been a few moments when he had been hopeful but life just came in the way with Meg's death, the need to protect little Lilly from her evil grandparents and simply life.

"Are you alright, dad?" Lilly asked her father in the car.

"Of course I am." he smiled.

"Will we be able to go to the wedding?"

"I think so. Even if I can't come, I'll make sure you do." Duncan assured her.

"Do you still love her?"

"I think I always will. There's something about your first love... You can never completely forget them, especially when they're as special as your aunt Veronica." He smiled at his daughter.

"But you won't tell her? You won't stop the wedding, will you?" Lilly asked him.

"No, I won't. Don't worry. I want her to be happy and this is what will make her happy. Oliver is good for her." Duncan assured his daughter.

.

"Nyssa called. Sara's on her way. She's ready to tell her father that she's alive and she wants to do it now." Veronica informed Oliver after hanging up her phone at the office.

When they arrived that morning, a small party had awaited them, to congratulate them on their engagement. Thea's tweets had gone viral and in a few hours, everyone knew and was talking about it. So, the members of the board and the heads of departments had put up a small party for the, to show them that they were happy for the couple and that they cared.

"Finally! I hope he'll take it well."

"I don't think it's going to be easy, but he'll be happy to see her alive and won't be too angry at her because of this. I'm sure he'll understand her reasons behind her silence all this time." Oliver replied.

"He might be mad at you, too. You did tell him that she was dead." Veronica reminded him.

"I did and for a while I truly thought that she was. He doesn't need to know what happened to me on the Island, all he needs to know is that she found a way to survive. I trust that she won't tell him anything he doesn't need to know." Oliver replied.

"Laurel will have to pretend that she didn't know too if she doesn't want to face her father's anger."

"I know. They'll be fine." He smiled.

.

A week after Sara had come by to tell her father the truth, a new brand of Vertigo started making its way in the streets and so, Arrow and Karma found their way in the streets, looking for the responsible one so that he could be stopped. They looked for the new count, located him and, since he tried to run away, they ran after him. They ended up catching him in a very public place, with several witnesses more than eager to take photos and film the two heroes in action.

"You know, this is perfect." Arrow declared with a chuckle as the cop took the new Count vertigo away.

"Perfect? What do you mean?" Karma asked him.

"I didn't plan on doing this this way but I've been looking for the perfect moment for some time now and considering that Count Vertigo is the first bad guy we stopped together, it's only fitting that I do this now, tonight, with the city we protect as witnesses." Arrow declared to the woman he loved.

"What do you mean?" She asked him with a smile before he kneeled in front of her and revealed a ring, surprising her.

"I love you, Karma, I don't see myself with anyone else in my life. Will you marry me?" he asked her and, not expecting this second proposal at all, Veronica couldn't help but smile and nod before she jumped in his arms.

They kissed and, aware that they were being filmed but not caring, he took her glove off and, hiding her hand from the crowd so they wouldn't see her other ring, he slipped this second engagement ring on her finger.

"You've been planning for this." Karma whispered.

"Guilty." he nodded.

They allowed people to take a few pictures and to congratulate them before they left, eager to celebrate together.

They had just gotten back to the lair when Mac jumped in their arms to congratulate them.

"Everyone already knows, it went viral. Everyone's tweeting about it with #vigilanteengagement. there are pictures and videos everywhere. I think this engagement is more popular than Oliver and Veronica's engagement." She informed them.

"Well, for once they talk about us for something that makes us happy, not someone we fought to stop." Veronica smiled.

"So, I guess you guys will have 2 weddings as well?" Diggle asked them as he put his jacket on to go home.

"Seems fitting." Veronica nodded with Oliver.

"I was thinking we could have Arrow and karma's wedding in Nanda Parbat, with all of our vigilante friends." Oliver suggested.

"I like this and it will make Raz happy since he can't act like my father at our official wedding." She agreed.

"You guys better get home, I'm sure Thea and Moira are waiting for you to congratulate you before they go to sleep." Mac told them and they nodded hurrying on their way home.

.

All in all, the weddings plans came together pretty simply. Karma and Arrow would get married in Nanda Parbat, with the League and their vigilante friends. Duncan would be able to come to this wedding. Oliver and Veronica's wedding would have to be more public, more official, with the press present.

They also decided to invite Barry's friend Iris to their vigilante wedding, with her promise not to reveal anyone's secret identity in exchange for the exclusive rights to report their wedding and the wonderful chance to meet several vigilantes. She had discovered Barry's Flash identity recently and they figured that this wedding would help her forget her pain at the loss of her fiancé, who had killed himself to save everyone from Reverse Flash.

At Karma and Arrow's wedding, Nyssa would be Karma's maid of honor while Flash would be Arrow's. At Oliver and Veronica's wedding, Thea, Mac and Laurel would be brides maids and Tommy, Roy and Diggle would be Oliver's best men. Thea had taken upon herself to organize her brother's public wedding while Nyssa and Sara decided to organise the one that would be held in Nanda Parbat.

Oliver had invited his friends from the Bratva to his official wedding and Constantine to the one in Nanda Parbat.

Veronica decided to invite Snart and his sister to her Vigilante wedding, hoping that he'd make friends with other vigilantes and end up living to his potential, especially since he had also formed some sort of fragile friendship with the Flash.

"This is going to be perfect." She said to herself as she looked over the wedding plans with Thea.

"Lilly will be there for both weddings. Lyla will bring her for the first one and Duncan will join us to the plane that will take us to Nanda Parbat. Hunter will go back to school after the first wedding since he still doesn't know your other identities. Like everyone else, he'll think you're on your honeymoon. Mom and I will take care of him until you come back." Thea informed her.

"Good." She nodded.

"Have you decided who will walk you down the aisle?" Thea asked her future sister.

"No, not yet. There's still plenty of time for me to decide." Veronica shook her head.

Thea knew that this was hard for Veronica. Keith was dead and Raz wouldn't be there to walk her down the aisle at her first wedding. The pain of Keith's death came back during this period and Thea did her best to show support and love.

* * *

 **I know that it's been a while, I'm sorry. Life has been hard lately. Anyway, here is a new chapter. Take your time reading it, the next one will be a while too.**

 **Next chapter is _2 Weddings and 1 Honeymoon_ , the one after that will be _Ghost of Dark_ , then it will be _Go see the wizard_ followed by _Back to Neptune High_. After that? I have no idea, it might end up being the last chapter though.**

 **Anyway, review, please?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	24. 2 weddings and 1 Honeymoon

**_2 Weddings and 1 honeymoon_**

* * *

Oliver's wedding with Veronica was here, about to happen the very next day.

It would take place in the Queen House and everything was already perfectly decorated. They would get married in the back yard, surrounded by flowers with their friends and families present. Ever since that morning, Veronica and Oliver had done their best not to cross ways because Thea had insisted that they needed to respect the tradition as much as possible, so they couldn't see each other during the day before the wedding, unless the city was about to be destroyed and no one else could help.

"Hunter, can we talk for a moment please?" Veronica asked her brother and adoptive son when they arrived back home after she picked him up from school for the wedding.

He nodded and joined her in the living room.

"Did I do something wrong? Am I in trouble?" he asked her.

"No, of course not. As you know, Oliver and I will get married tomorrow afternoon and it's going to be a big day for the three of us because as soon as we're married, we'll sign the official adoption papers, making you our son, officially." Veronica explained.

"Yes, Oliver even took me to get a suit made just for me and he let me chose everything! I got to chose between a tie and a bow tie and I got the exact same suit as Oliver, except in my size. It's going to be so cool! Oliver said I could wear a funny tie if I wanted to but I decided on a serious one, the same as his." Hunter nodded eagerly.

"I don't know if you know this, but usually, when a girl gets married, her father is supposed to walk her down the aisle, to her husband. My adoptive father, Keith Mars, is dead and my birth father can't be present at the ceremony because, well, it's complicated but we'll see him later, during the honeymoon." Veronica started to explain.

"Will you walk alone then?" He asked her, wondering why she was telling him this.

"I thought about it, I also thought of asking Moira if she'd agree to walk me down since she's been more of a mother to me than Leanne ever was, but then I thought of you." Veronica asked.

"Me?" The little boy was confused now.

"I was wondering if you'd agree to walking me down the aisle? You don't have to, but it would make me really happy if you agreed to do it." Veronica asked the little boy who's face immediately broke into a wide prideful smile.

"I'd love to!" he exclaimed.

"Thank you, Hunter. Now, why don't you go and play in the yard with Pony for a while? I'm sure she's missed you this week."

The little boy ran off and Veronica stood back up, ready to take one last look at Thea's table seating charts.

Wallace and Cliff were both at a single's table and it made Veronica smile, she had made sure that they were surrounded by pretty ladies. Of course Wallace would come with his mother and brother but while his little brother would sit at a table with other people his age, Alicia would sit with other grown women she'd have things in common with.

There weren't many people from Neptune that she had invited, but the few she had invited had been eager to accept the invitation. Norris had replied that he couldn't come to her wedding due to his League of Assassin training but that he'd be there at her second ceremony, as a member of the League and it had made her happy to know this.

She had considered inviting Logan, after all, he used to be one of her best friends but she decided against it, it would only create more drama than necessary. She did, however, invite Weevil and his family. His daughter would even be the flower girl.

She wasn't surprised when a few people from Neptune that hadn't spoken to her since the high school reunion and before that not since graduation, had tried to get in touch with her again, just to try and get an invitation. She had ignored them all. They didn't care about her, they only cared about her rich husband and the VIP guests that would be present.

She had considered inviting the Kane's but changed her mind. She didn't need them present, especially after everything they had done to hurt her in the past. She did invited Leo. He didn't live in Neptune anymore and was a detective with the San Diego police department but they had stayed in touch through the years and since he counted as one of her friends, she figured it was only right to invite him. He was sitting at the same table as Mac.

"That's a very sweet thing you did for the boy, he was feeling a bit left out." Moira declared as she entered the room.

"You heard that?"

"Yes, I didn't want to interrupt." Moira smiled.

"You're not hurt, right? The fact that I asked him instead of you, I hope it doesn't hurt your feelings... You were a close second." Veronica assured her future mother in law.

"I didn't even know you were considering me, Veronica, so no, my feelings aren't hurt. I thought you'd walk yourself down the aisle, marking the fact that you're an independent woman, or that you'd ask your father's best friend, Cliff Mac something to walk you down. You know, the one with a deep, sexy voice?" Moira replied with a smile.

"I did consider it, but then I thought of Hunter. I know he wanted to play a bigger role in the ceremony and it seemed fitting." Veronica decided to ignore Moira's comment about Cliff's voice, she refused to think about this.

"It will be perfect, honey." Moira assured her before she hugged her and left the room to answer the phone.

.

The morning of her much awaited wedding, Veronica felt nostalgic. Once upon a time, she had dreamt of this day with Lilly. Of course, back then, Duncan had been the dream husband but today, as she was about to finally marry someone she knew wouldn't let her down, someone she loved dearly, she missed her best friend even more.

Of course Lilly would be with her, in a way, firstly through her niece, Duncan's daughter, but also through the necklace that Lilly had given her once upon a time. It would be her something old.

The something new was the dress, Moira was letting Veronica borrow some old Queen family tiara to wear with her veil and she wore blue underwear. She had it all covered, thanks to Thea who thought of the Blue underwear to respect the code while not clashing with everything else.

Smiling, Veronica put on her robe and made her way to the dinning room, where she found a place already set-up for her with all of her favorite breakfast foods, a single red rose and with a handwritten note from Oliver, wishing her a good day and telling her that he couldn't wait until he could see her again, at the altar. Veronica smiled fondly, loving that he had prepared all of this for her, and she sat down to start eating.

She knew that she wouldn't see Hunter until much later, he was staying with Oliver and Tommy, on the other side of the house and they'd get ready together. He'd only come to find her about an hour before the beginning of the ceremony, once he was dressed. She wasn't sure what the boys would do with their morning, but she trusted them. They'd probably play in the yard or help with the finishing touches of the set up.

As for Veronica, she would enjoy a spa morning with Moira, Laurel, Mac and Thea.

.

"It's almost time." Thea told Veronica who was finishing doing her hair.

"Is everyone else ready?" She asked her future sister.

"Yes, Hunter is on his way, with Pony. Apparently, they decided that she needed to be dressed up too this morning and they tried several things. None stuck but they all had fun. Though if you ask me, I think Pony is the one who had the most fun, especially every time she ran away from them." Thea replied.

"Did everyone else arrive?" Veronica asked her.

"Almost everyone, yes. Your friend Weevil and his family are here, they came with your father's hot lawyer Cliff, Wallace, his brother and his mom."

"Is Valentina ready to be a flower girl?" Veronica was determined to ignore anyone who'd call Cliff hot or sexy.

He was her father's best friend and she refused to think of him as anything else. She already knew too much about his sex life, more than she wanted to know.

"She's very excited about it, yes. She looks just adorable too."

"Can't wait to see her." She smiled.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door and Veronica smiled, loving her friend's timing.

"V? Can I come in? Are you decent?" Wallace asked her.

"Yes, please, come in." Veronica replied and her best friend, her almost brother, entered the room with a bright smile.

"I'll go and make sure everything else is ready." Thea replied.

"Wow, V. You look princess-like. Keith would be proud." Wallace complimented her.

"Thanks, I've been thinking about him a lot."

"I understand. Now, where's that little brother and adoptive son of yours?" Wallace asked.

As if on cue, the little boy entered the room.

"Ah, Hunter, come here. I want you to meet Wallace. Remember, I told you about him. He's my best friend and almost became my brother at one point. Wallace, this is Hunter, my little brother and soon adoptive son." Veronica explained.

"Nice to meet you, Hunter." Wallace declared as he smiled at the boy.

"You too. Dad wants me to tell you that Pony would be walking down the aisle with Valentina and the flowers. She'll have the rings on her back." Hunter told Veronica who smiled and nodded.

"Has Barry arrived?"

"Yes, he's here with a pretty girl, he said her name is Iris. She has a nice smile." Hunter nodded.

"Good. Now let me look at you. Wallace, don't you think Hunter looks extremely handsome?" Veronica asked, knowing the boy would love some compliments.

"Absolutely, this is a great suit, James Bond would be jealous." Wallace replied with a smile before he added:

"I better go, I left my mom with Cliff. Who knows what will happen. I refuse to take the chance of her falling for him." Wallace smiled before he kissed Veronica on the cheek and left the room.

"Lilly is here too. She thanks you for the dress, she loves it." Hunter told her once the door closed.

Indeed, Veronica had sent Little Lilly a dress that she had chosen with Thea. The dress would match the bridesmaids dresses while being a bit different. She couldn't help but think that the older Lilly would have loved it.

"Are you nervous mom?" Hunter asked her.

"No, I thought I would be but in truth, I'm not nervous. I know I'm doing the right thing. What about you, do you have any second thoughts about becoming officially Hunter Mars Queen?" She asked him.

"No, not at all." he smiled.

"Good."

"Dad's Russian friends arrived earlier this morning. He introduced me to Anatoli and they said that we should go and visit them, all three of us, soon. Dad promised we would. At first he was scary but he's really nice and fun." Hunter informed her.

"Good, I only went to Russia once but I liked it, it was pretty. And Anatoli is nice, he's a good friend to Oliver. If anything ever happened, he'd come to help." Veronica replied.

She wanted Hunter to know who she trusted and who she didn't trust because life was uncertain and if anything happened to them, she wanted Hunter to know who he could call for help and who he shouldn't call. She had already made sure he knew that if there was a danger, he could call Barry or Bruce and they'd come to help.

"Another friend of dad's arrived, but he's a bit weird."

"Really? Who is it?" Veronica asked.

"He said his name is Constantine."

"Ah yes. Well, he's weird but that's because his job is to deal with the weird. He's a good friend to have." Veronica smiled.

"What kind of weird things does he deal with?" Hunter asked her.

"Things like Ghosts and magic." Veronica replied and Hunter looked very impressed.

"He can do magic?" hunter asked her.

"Apparently, yes, and he's seen ghosts, and angels, and demons." veronica nodded.

"Do you think he'll show me?" Hunter asked her.

"I don't think he really does parlor tricks, Hunter. He's more into doing magic things to save people's lives, but asking him can't hurt." Veronica replied with a nice smile.

.

When the time came, Thea came to get Veronica and Hunter.

Oliver was already waiting in front of the priest. As planned, Mac walked first with Diggle, they were followed by Thea and Roy and Laurel and Tommy. Once they stood where they were supposed to, Valentina came with Pony. The little girl was a perfect flower girl and so adorable that everyone smiled at her. Once she was done and sitting back with her father and Pony was sitting quietly next to Oliver, it was finally time for Veronica and Hunter to show themselves.

"Are you ready?" he asked her seriously, looking more grown up than he actually was.

Smiling, Veronica nodded and they started making their way to the altar. Veronica couldn't get her eyes away from Oliver and he couldn't look away from her. This was their perfect moment and she loved it.

.

All in all, the ceremony went well and was very moving. Once Veronica and Oliver were declared man and wife, they signed the adoption paper and became a family of three. Then came the kiss and everyone's congratulations.

The party lasted well into the night and, instead of going to bed, Veronica and Oliver got changed and made their way to the plane who'd fly them off to Nanda Parbat with some of their friends, while others would make their own way there.

"So, how are you feeling, Ms Queen?" Oliver asked her as they were leaving the Queen mansion to get on the plane.

"Happy. Very happy and eager to get our second wedding over with so that we can finally have our honeymoon." She replied with a smile as she waved at her family.

"Me too." he smiled.

.

She didn't even remember who she used to be, now, she was simply _Cupid_ and obsessed with one thing only: Get the Green Arrow to fall for her.

After several months of watching she had found out that he was Oliver Queen. He was made for her, she was sure of it and so she decided to do the most romantic thing she could think of: crash his vigilante wedding and kill his bride. Then she was sure that he'd fall for her, realize they were perfect for each other and marry her.

She had everything planned and, while the guests were boarding the plane, she snuck in without being seen. She had calculated everything and was confident that everything would be perfect.

There was a lot of people on the plane and Cupid was pretty sure that one of them was a criminal, not a hero. Why was Leonard Snart invited to this wedding? Shaking her head, she went on with her plan and hid. She wouldn't get out until they had arrived and everyone had gotten off.

.

"Is everyone here? I thought there would be more people." Barry Allen asked his friends after exchanging a tensed smile with Snart.

"Everyone who's supposed to be here, yes. The others will get there on their own, some already are." Veronica replied.

"I saw Bruce Wayne at your wedding, why didn't he fly with us?" Barry asked.

"He's going with his own plane, this way he gives a ride to a couple of other people." Oliver replied.

"Cool." Barry nodded.

"I want to take this moment to thank you two for inviting me and offering me the opportunity to write this article. I swear that I won't reveal anyone's identity. What you're giving me, is the exclusive of the year, the opportunity to write the kind of article that can build a career and I will never be able to thank you enough for that." Iris told the newly weds.

"Well, keep the secret and we'll be even." Veronica smiled.

The flight was pretty uneventful and Veronica used this opportunity to take a small nap in Oliver's arms. Once in Nanda Parbat, they'd have only a couple of hours before the second ceremony and she wanted to rest as much as possible now. She knew that Oliver was also resting while Lilly was talking with Snart, who showed to be surprisingly good with kids and able to entertain the little girl with tales of his 'adventures'.

When they arrived, they were welcomed by Raz Al Ghul himself, and he was with a few elite members of the league, along with Nyssa and another woman Veronica guessed was Talia.

"Veronica, let me introduce you to your other big sister, Talia. Talia, this is your new little sister, Veronica, and her husband Oliver." Raz smiled.

"We've met, though he didn't know I was your daughter back then." Talia smiled, looking at Oliver after smiling at Veronica and hugging her.

"When?" Veronica asked.

"In Russia, before I went back to the Island to be rescued." Oliver replied and she nodded.

She knew this story, she knew them all, but she hadn't cared to remember the name of the woman who had helped him back then.

"Why don't the two of us take Veronica to her room so she can get ready while you show Oliver and the rest of the guests where they can go?" Nyssa suggested.

"Lilly, why don't come with us until your father arrives." Veronica asked the little girl who nodded eagerly and followed her godmother, eager to know more about Veronica's two sisters and to see more of this place.

"I wish you'd have brought Hunter." Nyssa commented.

"Another time, right now he doesn't know about Oliver and I being vigilantes. It would have been too hard for him. I want to take things slow, right now, he's still getting used to his new life. Every time I ask to speak with him, he looks like he's expecting to be yelled at for something he didn't do. My degree in psychology tells me that I need to take things slow for him." Veronica replied.

"Well, I'm glad for this opportunity to get to know you. So far I've heard only good things." Talia told Veronica.

"Thanks." Veronica smiled.

"How do you know Bruce Wayne? I heard that he was invited and that his jet was going to arrive minutes after yours." Talia asked her newly discovered little sister.

"He's Batman in Gotham, we met when he came in Star City to start a partnership between our two companies and we found out each other's secrets. He's a friend. How do you know him?" Veronica replied.

"I helped train him." Talia told her with a hidden smile.

"Do you like him?" Veronica asked with a teasing smile while Nyssa copied her smile.

"Let's just say that we had chemistry." Talia chuckled before she helped her sister get ready for her wedding.

"Well, maybe you can use this wedding to see if you still do." Veronica suggested.

"You think so?" Talia asked her.

"Of course, everyone hooks up at weddings." Veronica smiled, making her two sister laugh while Lilly was looking at the paintings on the walls, obviously very interested in everything she saw.

.

While Veronica was getting ready in an outfit that fit League's tradition and would still fit her as karma (and hide her face for the pictures), Oliver was getting changed as well and iris was meeting some of the guests.

They all knew that she was going to be there and so everyone whore their superhero or vigilante outfit, the one who hide their identity. Snart didn't bother hiding his face, neither did his sister. He was curious to see how people would react when they found out that Captain Cold and his sister were invited to a Vigilante wedding.

"I'm not going to have enough space on my camera, or in my notepad." Iris whispered to herself after she interviewed and took pictures of Aquaman and his wife.

"We do have paper here, if you really need it." Raz himself told her.

"I... You're... It's an honor to meet you, sir. Thank you for allowing my presence." Iris replied.

"Don't worry about it. Just ask one of my men if you need more paper, they'll be happy to get it for you." He smiled.

"Thank you. I was wondering, do you want me to talk about the league? So far, I wasn't going to name the place where the wedding took place or the League's presence but if you want me to mention it or say something, I'll be happy to. I won't mention Argus either, because, you know, they're secret too. I'll already have enough material to write several articles as it is, if you'd like me to write one about the League or to add just a few things about it in Karma and Arrow's wedding article, i'd be more than happy to do it." Iris suggested.

"I don't think I'm ready for it. The ones who know of the League will recognize the surroundings and other details in the pictures, it will be enough. Tough i'd be proud to be in a picture, in my ceremonial outfit, labelled as the father of the bride." Raz Al Ghul told the young journalist who smiled and nodded before he posed for the picture the way he wanted to be seen.

.

By the time the ceremony started, Iris had her notepad filled and had been given a second one by a member of the League. She had a lot of pictures as well. Mostly of Vigilante and Superheroes in their outfits but she also managed to get them to agree to a few group pictures and still have enough space to take several more during the actual ceremony and the party later.

A few Argus members arrived 5 minutes only before the ceremony started and Lilly ran to her father, happy to see him again and to tell him everything she had seen so far.

Talia had been chosen by her father to stand in the place of the ceremonial priestess and to lead the ceremony, since she could do it, while he would walk Karma down the aisle. Nyssa was going to be Karma's maid of honor and Flash would be Arrow's best man.

Karma arrived in front of the large double door of the room the ceremony would take place in and her father was already waiting for her. Through the open doors, a music had started playing. Smiling, she grabbed her father's arm and let him lead her, knowing that everything would go well.

The guests were all looking at the bride, standing face to face with the groom while Raz Al Ghul took his seat in the front row. Cupid knew that now was her moment, it was now or never, especially given the present company.

"You're not even going to ask if anyone objects? Because I do! Arrow is mine!" Cupid declared with a confident smirk before she shot one of her pink arrow at Karma.

Everyone was surprised but Karma still managed to avoid getting hit by the arrow, who ended up caught by Flash (Cupid hadn't thought about this possibility and it annoyed her). Quickly, most of the guests stood in action and caught her.

"You can't stop our love, he's mine!" Cupid screamed.

"What Love? Who are you?" Arrow asked, confused and angry that someone had tried to kill his wife, his love.

"i'm your soul mate, the one and only made for you. Can't you see how perfect we are for each other?" Cupid replied.

"You're crazy!" Arrow shook his head.

"Lock her up in one of the cells, make sure she's not hiding any weapons or accessories she could use to escape. We'll see what we can do with her tomorrow." Raz ordered and his men quickly took the pink woman away.

"We can get her off your hands if you want. I have a feeling that she'll be a perfect fit for the Suicide Squad." Duncan suggested.

"It's my daughter's decision." Raz decided.

"I think having a bomb injected in her neck and being forced to do good things will do her some good." Karma nodded.

"For now, let's get this ceremony going." Talia reminded them and, quickly, everyone took their positions back.

Iris, who had been allowed to stand to the side where she could take better pictures of the wedding ceremony, was trilled. She had a perfect picture of Cupid shooting an Arrow and another one of her being restrained by Batman and Captain Cold while Arsenal and Lisa Snart took her weapons away. It was a great shot and she could feel that her editor would be very happy with her work.

The rest of the ceremony went smoothly and once Arrow and Karma were declared man and wife, they kissed in front of all of their vigilante friends. They were congratulated and shook a lot of hands before they were all guided to another room where a feast and music was awaiting them to celebrate.

"Mister Kane, if you want to put your daughter to sleep, don't hesitate. She's free to use Veronica's room. Ask any of my men and they'll show you where it is." Raz informed Duncan who smiled.

"Thanks, I'd suggest it to her but I think she's too excited to sleep. She's been eager to come here ever since veronica told her about it."

"Veronica did tell me, yes. She'll be able to come back soon. Any family of my daughter is welcome here. Your daughter is her goddaughter, it makes her more than welcome here." Raz replied.

"Thank you, really." Duncan nodded before Lila came to inform them that she had talked with Amanda Waller about Cupid and that they'd be ready for them as soon as they arrived the next day.

Once they arrived in the room to enjoy the fest and the party, Iris put her camera away and assured everyone that they could take their masks off if they wanted too, from now on, she wouldn't be a reporter anymore but a simple guest.

"How are you feeling, sister?" Talia asked veronica while Nyssa stood on her other side.

"Happy, very happy, even though I miss Keith and Lilly a bit more than usual. They should have been there." Veronica replied.

"They were here. In here." Talia replied, pointing to Veronica's heart.

Suddenly, Veronica turned around, having heard a voice she shouldn't be able to hear anymore.

"Congratulations, Veronica, I'm happy for you." Lilly was standing on front of her, her usual perky ghost like figure.

"Lilly?" Veronica whispered.

Even though her words had been whispered, it seemed like everyone heard them and Duncan, her father and Oliver came closer to her.

"Did you see her again?" Oliver asked her.

"I'm seeing her right now. Right here. She's congratulating us." Veronica whispered, shocked while Duncan couldn't speak.

Veronica had told him of her visions but he hadn't expected being confronted to it while it happened. He didn't know how to react or what to say, especially since he couldn't see her.

"Didn't you say that she usually shows up when there's danger or some important hidden truth?" Raz asked her, confused.

"Lilly?" Veronica asked again.

"If you want to keep that hot husband of yours long enough to enjoy the honeymoon, you should send someone to look through Cupid's outfit before she escapes. She's hidden a few things in them, she was ready for the possibility of being caught." Lilly told Veronica before she blew her a kiss and left.

"She... She left. She said that if I want to keep that hot husband of mine to enjoy my honeymoon, her words, not mine, someone should go and search Cupid's outfit before she escapes. Apparently, she has quite a few useful things hidden in the fabric. She was ready for something like this to happen." Veronica told them.

Immediately, Raz made to call one of his man but Talia and Nyssa stopped him.

"Let us handle it, Father. We won't let her harm our sister and her husband." Nyssa suggested.

"Alright. Take Norris with you." Raz agreed.

"Are you alright Duncan?" Veronica asked him, concerned.

"I guess... I... Do you know why you can see her?"

"No, only guesses. Constantine thinks it might be because we had a strong bond when we were human, because I fought so hard to find the truth about her murder, maybe even that we are soul sisters and because of that she won't be able to move on until I die too... Only guesses really." Veronica shook her head.

"I have a few people looking into it as well." Raz assured before going to speak with Batman.

With a nod, Duncan went to check on his daughter, who was on Aquaman's lap, listening to his tales of life in the sea.

"What about you, Love, are you alright?" Oliver asked his wife.

"I am now. Nyssa and Talia were right, Lilly was with me today. She's always with me." Veronica smiled at him.

"I love you." He simply told her.

"I love you too." She smiled back at him before they exchanged a kiss.

A few hours later, Oliver and Veronica told their friends and family goodbye as they took their private jet to go on their honeymoon. The few people who had come with them would be given a ride by Bruce Wayne or the League.

As soon as they had settled in the first stop of their around the world trip, they called home to speak with Hunter, who was happy to hear from them and was apparently being spoiled by Thea. While the couple took their month long honeymoon, Hunter would come home to Thea and Moira during the weekend and he wasn't worried, neither were his adoptive parents. Thea had quickly grown to love him like a nephew while Moira considered him her first grandson. He'd be well taken care of and the newlyweds were free to enjoy each other during their honeymoon.

* * *

 _I'm sorry this chapter took me so long, life sometimes gets in the way of my writing, I'm sure you can understand. But it is an extra long one, so it kind of makes up for it, doesn't it?_

 _Anyway, just because I took so long, here is a little extra:_

* * *

Iris went to work as soon as she arrived home after they left Nanda Parbat. She had known from the beginning that it would be a great article but Cupid's interruption and her pictures of it made it even better.

She unloaded her pictures and looked over all of her notes before she started working on her article about Karma and Arrow's wedding ceremony. Once she showed her boss everything she had, it was decided that she'd get the front page plus an entire special double page inside this issue of the newspaper. She'd be able to write more about the other vigilante guests later, in smaller articles she'd write afterwards.

A few days ago, the newspaper had published a small article, warning people that a bigger article was coming up.

 **"** **Star City Arrow and Karma are tying the knot!**

 **Some people of Star city were witness to the touching and romantic proposal, we'll witness the wedding for you.**

 **The famous vigilante couple from Star City is getting married in a top secret location and one of our reporter was allowed to witness this once in a life time** **event for us. Rumor has it that our very own Superhero, the Flash, is going to be there as well and stand as Arrow's best man. Make sure not to miss the special issue of this newspaper where you'll be able to read all about the ceremony, their guests and even see pictures of it all!"**

Iris, of course, kept her promise to keep the real identity of the guests secret and to only mention their nicknames. She started by doing her best to describe the scenery, the mountains and how mystical it all seemed (the few pictures she had taken of the place would be online). She didn't mention the League, like she promised, but she mentioned that the wedding took place in this specific place because it was the home of Karma's father. Those who knew of the league would get the message, the others, well, it didn't concern them. Iris made sure to mention that Flash was Arrow's best man and she named all of the heroes who were present at the ceremony, describing the outfits of the ones who had refused to be photographed alone.

She also mentioned the names of heroes or sidekicks that had been invited but decided to stay behind in their cities to keep them safe while the heroes took a well deserved break and parties.

Once she had described the scenery, the guests and the wedding party, Iris decided that it would be best to describe the ceremony moment by moment, like it was happening while the reader read the article. She mentioned Cupid's interruption, doing her best to do it justice. Her Editor had loved the pictures she took of the crazy woman's arrest and the ones who weren't in the issue of the newspaper would be visible online.

Iris made sure to mention Captain Cold's presence among the Vigilante, stating that Karma herself had informed her that he had helped her save someone once and that they had form a friendship, that he had helped her a few more times since then and was one of her friends. Through the article, Iris wanted the people to see that because someone was labelled a bad guy, it didn't mean that he'd stay that way, there was always hope to change, be a better person and turn your life around.

Iris barely did anything for the two days it took her to work on her perfect article, which was long. First the shorter one who'd be on the front page, then the longer one who'd be inside. She was proud of her work and her boss was proud as well.

"This is a great article, West. It's not only going to boost newspaper sells, it's going to boost your career as well. People from all over the country, maybe even the world, will order an issue of this paper. You might even get other job offers." Her boss told her as they both looked at the finished job that he had just approved and sent to printing.

"I was lucky the Flash told them that he trusted me and that they decided to trust me as well." Iris replied with a nod.

"True. You did a good job there. Now you should get home and rest. You'll be able to celebrate tomorrow."

Smiling, Iris went home, already knowing that Barry would get a few issues of the paper, not only for the guests of the wedding who didn't live in this city but also for Arrow and Karma.

She fell asleep proud of the job she had done. When they saw that she had kept their secrets, maybe the Heroes would call on her again for future articles.

* * *

 **Now it's the end of this chapter. What did you think?**

 **At first I wanted to write Iris' article but I couldn't do it justice, so I just described it.**

 **Sorry for the delay between updates, but inspiration isn't easy to find for me these days...**

 **Review please?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	25. Ghost of Dark

**_Ghost of Dark_**

* * *

A little over a month after their wedding, Veronica and Oliver Queen came back to Star City to get back to work and get back to real life. They had had a great time during their honeymoon but were happy to be back in town, to see their family and their friends once more. They were even happy to get back to work.

Their first time back in their Vigilante outfits was weird but freeing at the same time. They had missed it and their friends seemed happy to have them back as well.

"Veronica, Oliver, wait up. Before you go, there's something I need to tell you." Mac told them in a nervous voice.

"What's wrong?" Veronica asked her friend.

"You know how I was in Central City when the particle accelerator exploded and how some people who were around when it happened were affected by this?" Mac asked them.

"The ones Barry calls the meta-humans?" Oliver asked.

"Yes... I... It started slowly but lately... It's grown... It's not dangerous or anything, I swear! Just... weird." Mac told them.

"What are you talking about?" Veronica asked her.

"I'm a meta-human. I've discovered that I can link my mind through anything electronic or computers, as long as I'm close to it. You have no idea how surprised I was when it first happened and I opened a file on my computer without moving anything or clicking. While you were away, I've been exploring my powers, practicing, without telling anyone. I can link myself with it, see through it and control it. For now it only works if I'm close to it but I think that, with time and practice, I'll even be able to travel through electronics not only with my mind, but with my body as well. Like enter a computer, follow a connection and get out from another computer." Mac told them, half nervous and half excited.

"That's great Mac! It fits who you are perfectly." Veronica exclaimed, knowing that her friend was nervous because she was afraid of being rejected.

"We'll have to find you a nickname now." Oliver added.

"I kind of thought about it... I like Overwatch." Mac told them.

"Nice, I like it too." Veronica agreed while Oliver nodded.

"Now we should all get some sleep. I have a bad feeling about these masked men that call themselves the Ghosts and have started to invade our city." Oliver suggested and the two women nodded.

.

When Veronica and her husband went back to work, it took the young woman a while to get used to being called _Misses Queen_ instead of _Miss Mars_ but she liked it. Pony was still with them, moving from one office to the other and Veronica caught herself thinking that, when Oliver and her finally had kids, they'd be able to both get back to work by letting the baby stay between them in the office as well. A part time baby sitter would be more than enough.

This thought surprised her because Veronica had never been one to think about becoming a mother much, but she liked it. She knew they'd make great parents. They were doing a good enough job with Hunter, they'd do just as well with a kid of their own.

For their first day back, Oliver and Veronica had lunch in town with Thea.

Their first week back went fine, so did the second one but Veronica couldn't help but notice that she wasn't feeling at the top of her game, so she decided to go see the Queen's family doctor. She didn't want to spread whatever she had caught. She hadn't even told Oliver, he had important meetings all day and she didn't want to worry him for what would probably turn out to be a simple cold.

"I'll come back later from my lunch break today, I have an appointment in town. Call me if there's anything important." Veronica told her assistant before she left her office.

She knew that she didn't have to worry about Pony today, her dog had stayed at home with Thea.

Veronica was nervous. The doctor seemed to think there was a possibility that she was pregnant and she didn't know if it was the right time. Would Oliver be happy about this?

"I'll call you tomorrow at the latest with the results." The doctor promised and Veronica decided to wait until she knew for sure before she told Oliver about it.

.

Veronica was so busy for the rest of the day and the next day that she almost forgot about the call she was expecting from the doctor. She was about to leave with Oliver to join Moira at a charity event that evening when her cell phone rang. Veronica stepped out of the room and answered nervously. The doctor announced her that she was indeed pregnant. Veronica promised to call the next day to set an appointment for a more thorough examination and she joined Oliver and Moira at the car.

"A problem?" he asked her.

"Not really." She replied.

She was about to say more, to tell him everything but they were interrupted and she decided to wait until later that evening, when she was able to tell him on her own.

They spent a couple of hours at the charity event before Veronica asked Oliver to step out. She was feeling a bit flushed and needed the cool air to feel better. She figured that it would be a good time to tell Oliver the news.

"Are you sure you're okay Veronica?" Oliver asked her, worried.

"I found out today... I wanted to tell you earlier but we were interrupted... I... I'm pregnant Oliver." Veronica told him.

"You... We're going to have a baby?" he asked her, shocked, but happy.

"You don't think it's too soon?" She asked him in a small voice while he hugged her.

"Of course not. We can do anything! I'm so happy, honey!" he exclaimed.

They knew that, a little bit away, journalists were probably filming them, trying to find out what was going on but they didn't care. It was their moment, they were happy.

Oliver stopped hugging Veronica and they turned around, ready to get back to the party when a black motorcycle with 2 men dressed in black with black masks on their faces drove by, guns in their hands, and started shooting at the couple. Oliver and Veronica went down, trying to escape the bullets. The journalists filmed the scene and it would be on every TV and in every newspaper the next day.

"The ghosts again, this time they took it too far!" Oliver cursed as he got up before turning to Veronica and asking her:

"Are you okay?"

But Veronica didn't answer and she wasn't getting up either. She wasn't moving at all.

"Veronica!" Oliver screamed, trying to wake her up as blood pooled out from the bullet wounds she had on her stomach.

At least one of the bullets who hit her had exited her body from the back, the others where still inside.

"Somebody call 911!" Oliver yelled as people rushed around him.

Oliver didn't care about what was going on around him or that blood was pooling out of his arms from where a bullet a scrapped his skin, he was just worried about his wife, the love of his life. He vaguely heard his mother and Tommy telling him that the ambulance would be here soon, that she'd get the best doctors and that everything would be fine. He didn't answer. He could feel that he had been injured as well, that he was bleeding from his arm but it wasn't serious, he had survived worst and he refused to let anyone look at it until he knew if he wife would survive.

He remembered informing the people who transported Veronica to the hospital that she was pregnant, that she had just found out. He answered all of their questions without thinking. He just wanted her to be okay but he knew from the look on their faces that her situation was bad, that there was a risk that she wouldn't make it.

"It's going to be everywhere tomorrow, Hunter will be worried." Moira commented later, once they were sitting in the waiting room of the hospital, waiting to know if the surgery had saved Veronica and her baby.

"Dig, call Barry, tell him what happened and ask him to bring Hunter here. Mom, call the school to warn them that Barry Allen is going to come pick up Hunter, tell them why. Tell them that we don't know when he'll come back to school, that it would be best to send us his work for the next few days." Oliver decided, knowing that he wasn't able to do this on his own.

"Do you want me to warn Duncan too?" Dig asked Oliver who nodded.

"Of course, I'll do it right away." Moira nodded before she left the room with Diggle.

"I'll call Sara, ask her to warn Nyssa and her father. I think Talia's still with them too." Laurel told Oliver, knowing that he wasn't in any shape to do it himself but that they needed to be warned.

.

Roy was back in their Vigilante lair, planning on covering the vigilante-ing with Mac until Oliver and Veronica were better. Dig would join him later but he knew that people would get suspicious if Arrow and Karma weren't seen without any excuse to explain their absence. At least one of them had to be out so he called Bruce Wayne for help. Bruce had agreed to come and pretend to be Arrow while trying to locate the Ghosts. He had planned to come anyway, to see how Veronica was doing. Roy figured that once Sara, Talia or Nyssa arrived, they'd be able to put on Karma's suit and pretend to be her while in public.

.

Oliver had eventually let a doctor heal his arm and he was back to waiting on news about Veronica's status.

He didn't want to talk to the journalists but he knew that if he didn't want to see them try to break in to have informations, someone had to update them so he asked his sister to do so.

It had been hours and he knew that his wife was still in surgery. A few people had called or come by to show their support, extra security had been placed around the hospital with a list of people they could let through and others they had to keep out and Barry had arrived with Hunter moments ago. The young boy ran in Oliver's arms as soon as he arrived in the corridor and they hugged each other before Hunter sat down on Oliver's lap and waited with him. They gave each other support and strength.

Barry decided to join Roy and Bruce to see if they could find anything useful to stop whoever had hurt Veronica.

From Neptune, Wallace had called Mac as soon as he heard, figuring that Oliver would have other things on his mind than to answer his questions. Leo and Cliff also called and sent flowers. While Wallace would come as soon as possible, the other two men couldn't come but asked to be updated, which Mac promised. Logan had also called. First Veronica's cell phone, then Mac's. He was worried, wanted to know if she'd pull through. Mac promised to call him too when she knew anything more.

Argus had also offered their help in the hunt for those who shot at Oliver and Veronica, though it would have to be discrete. Duncan had come as soon as he heard what had happened, his daughter by his side. Of course he was dressed in a disguise but Oliver was grateful for his presence. He was reassured to know that he was here.

Laurel told them that she hadn't been able to reach Sara on her phone but she left her a message explaining everything. She had added that they'd call again as soon as they learned more before she hung up and left the same message on the League's private phone line.

Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity to Veronica's family, the doctor joined them, a grave look on his face, which worried everyone in the room. Motioning for Hunter and Lilly to wait back, Oliver, Moira, Thea, Mac and Duncan approched the doctor while Tommy and Laurel tried to distract the children.

"She pulled through but I'm sorry to say that the baby didn't survive. It was too soon to tell you the gender... Her recovery will be long and you have to be prepared for the eventuality that she might not walk ever again. The bullets did a lot of damages and she's lucky to be alive. We almost lost her twice during the surgery and she'll have to go through surgery again in a couple of days." The doctor told them before he went into more details about what they had done and what was left to be done.

Oliver nodded and did his best to pull a brave face, he needed to be strong for his wife.

"Hunter, come here buddy." Oliver called his adoptive son once the doctor had left.

"How is she? Can we see her now?" The boy asked, worried.

"We'll be able to see her in a few moments, but you have to be prepared... Veronica found out that she was pregnant yesterday, we were going to have a baby but because of the shooting, the baby didn't survive. Veronica is going to be very emotional, very tired and very sad. She might not be able to walk either. You're going to have to be strong and brave for her, because that's what she needs us to be, do you understand me, buddy?" Oliver told the child as calmly as possible.

As Oliver spoke, Hunter's eyes teared up but he nodded.

"You can cry now, son. Cry with me, with grandma, with Thea. You can cry and be sad, it's natural. You just need to be strong for Veronica when you're in front of her." Oliver added as he hugged him and let him cry on his shoulder.

On the side, Duncan was informing Lilly of the same news and they decided to leave for now, they'd come back later, once Veronica was awake. They didn't want to overwhelm her.

.

Jake Kane sat in front of the TV, watching reports of the shooting in Star City that sent Veronica Queen to the hospital in a life threatening situation after receiving 3 bullets. He watched and listened and the journalists gave frequent updates on her status. One of them learned that she had lost a baby and this was what hit Jake Kane the most.

"Why are you still watching this, Jake? It's been a week, she pulled through. You know her, she's strong, she'll be fine. There's no need to worry about her." Celeste told him with a frown.

"She gave us our son back, she gave us our granddaughter back. Without her we wouldn't even know if they were still alive. We can't keep doing this, stay on this side... I have to do something, tell her what's going on, why she lost her child." Jake told his wife.

"Why? It's not like she's your daughter, Jake, we did a blood test, she's not your daughter, Leanne lied. Let it be." Celeste shook her head.

"I don't care about that, Celeste! For once in my life, I want to be able to sleep knowing that I did the right thing! If Genesis happens, do you realize the number of people who'd die? When we signed up for this, we thought Duncan was dead, that we didn't have anything to lose. If Genesis happens, you and I both know that Lilly and him will die. I can't have that on my conscience." Jake insisted and he could see that she agreed with him.

"And you think that Veronica can do something about it in her present condition?" Celeste asked him.

"I believe that she'll know who to tell to make it stop." He nodded.

"Fine, but be careful, make it look like you're just visiting your ex lover's daughter, that you still suspect she might be your daughter, that you just care because she was your daughter's best friend and your son's first love. Make sure it's safe. Don't forget who's in Star City right now, who could be watching." Celeste told him.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful." Jake promised before he packed a bag and prepared to go to Star City for a couple of days.

.

When Jake arrived in Star City, Veronica was still in the hospital. She had gotten a second and a third surgery and she still couldn't walk or feel anything below the waist. Learning that she had lost her baby had been hard for her, even though she hadn't known she was pregnant for a long time but Hunter's presence and everyone's love and support helped her a lot.

Talia, Nyssa and Sara had come as soon as they had gotten Laurel's message and Talia put on Karma's outfit to make people think that Arrow's wife was still out there and to prevent people from finding out that Veronica Queen was Karma. Oliver didn't go out as Arrow for the time being, he just wanted to be there for his love and he knew that Bruce, Dig and Roy were doing their best to find out who the ghosts were and what they wanted.

Raz wanted to come, but he had to organize the League, intensify their training. After the attack on Veronica, he wanted them to be ready to fight as soon as they knew who to hit. He called her everyday though, sometimes twice a day, and he sent her beautiful flowers.

Hunter hadn't gone back to school, he wanted to stay close to his adoptive mother and so the school, who understood his situation, sent him his homework and he spent most of his day working or playing in Veronica's hospital room while Oliver tried to spend as much time as possible with them, whenever it wasn't absolutely important for him to be at the office.

Diggle had hired someone to filter through the visitors because journalists kept on trying to get in.

"Misses Queen, a man named Jake Kane wants to see you. He's not on the list but he comes from Neptune and he said that you probably didn't expect him to come." The security agent told her.

"Jake Kane is here?" Veronica asked him.

She was pale, it was obvious when looking at her that she had gone through something horrible and that she was fighting to stay strong and to pull through.

"Yes, here, I took a picture." The man showed her.

Veronica took the phone and recognized her dead best friend's father.

"Wait a minute, please." Veronica asked before she took her phone and texted Oliver that Jake Kane was there and that she felt he should be there with her.

Almost immediately, Oliver replied that he was already on his way and would be there in less than 10 minutes.

"Oliver's on his way, please wait until he's arrived before you let Jake Kane in." Veronica decided.

"Yes ma'm." The security agent agreed.

"Who's Jake Kane, mom?" Hunter asked her.

"Duncan's father. He used to be friends with Leanne too." She replied.

"Is he nice?" Hunter asked her.

"Only on the even days." The blond woman tried to joke, making him smile a little.

"Do you want me to get out when he gets here?"

"Not at first, but I might ask you to spend some time outside the room with Mike, the security agent. Do you mind?" She asked him.

"Of course not, he's cool." Hunter nodded, always eager to please.

Veronica was amazed at Hunter. Ever since she had woken up, he had been brave and even though she knew that he was sad and worried, he hadn't showed it to her, he had been her little soldier, bringing her mood up and doing his best to cheer her up.

Oliver arrived 10 minutes later and, after he hugged Hunter and kissed Veronica, Jake Kane entered the room with a bouquet of flowers.

"Veronica, Mister Queen." Jake nodded in greeting.

"Jake, I have to say, I wasn't expecting to see you here." Veronica replied while Oliver accepted the flowers and placed them on a table on the side of the room.

"Is this Hunter? Leanne's son?" Jake asked, intrigued by the little boy.

"Yes, he is. Hunter, this is Jake Kane, Lilly's grandfather, Duncan's father." She introduced.

"Nice to meet you, sir. I like Lilly a lot, she's my friend, family. Mom says we're like cousins and I like it." Hunter nodded and shook Jake's hand.

"You too. Veronica, I have to talk to you about something serious..." Jake said, looking at Hunter in a way that said that he thought it would be best if he didn't hear it.

"I figured you weren't coming just to see how I am doing. Hunter, why don't you go and hang out with Mike outside for a while? Maybe he can take you to get some ice cream?" Veronica suggested.

Hunter nodded and Oliver took his adoptive son to the security agent who happily agreed to take the boy outside for a while.

"So, why did you come, Jake?" Veronica asked him once the door was closed.

"I came because... I... Veronica, I'm so sorry... This... You losing your baby, your legs... For my defense, at the time, I didn't think I had anything to lose..." Jake didn't know where to start.

"What are you talking about?" Oliver asked, suspicious as he held Veronica's hand lovingly and strongly.

"I came to tell you what's going on in your city, who the people who shot you are, what they want, what they're working to build. My mind was clouded at the time but now I can see that it's wrong. Lilly wouldn't want me to be a part of this and Duncan and his daughter would get hurt too... Veronica, you already know that I am a member of the Castle, you found out years ago but what you don't know is that we're part of something much bigger and older. We're only taking care of the financial part of this..." Jake started to explain.

"This?" Veronica asked, confused.

"The Genesis project, a crazy plan built by Damian Dark." Jake was about to say more but Veronica interrupted him.

"Damian Dark? You've got to be kidding me!" Veronica exclaimed.

"You know him?"

"Yes, we do." Oliver nodded.

"I shouldn't be surprised... Can I ask how you know him?" Jake asked.

"His ex best friend is my biological father. Raz Al Ghul." Veronica replied.

"I'll text your sisters to drop by as soon as they can. They need to know this." Oliver whispered.

"We'll call dad when they get here. He won't like this." Veronica nodded.

"Well, maybe you can get him to help then. I came here because I believe that you'll be able to find the right people to help stop this Genesis project. I know you Veronica, I know that you know how to contact vigilantes and I believe they're the only ones who can stop this. I'm not blind, or stupid. I won't tell anyone of my suspicions but I believe you are Karma and that the woman out there right now is a friend of yours pretending to be you. It's who you are. I'm not looking for a denial or confirmation, I just want to make things right." Jake was nervous and Veronica could tell that he was sincere.

"Actually, the woman out there right now is my sister. One of them anyway." Veronica replied.

"What can you tell us about this Genesis Project?" Oliver asked.

"Damian has been building an underground city right here in Star City, with fields growing food, artificial sunlight, air filters and everything a city this big would need to survive. The members of Genesis and their family would live there and be able to survive the nuclear bombing Damian had been planning. I put everything I could get my hands on on this hard drive. The location of this city, the names of people working on it, the blueprints of the city and his central commands, the composition of the drug he gives his soldiers, the Ghosts... I tried to get my hand on anything that could be useful to stop them. I'm sure you still have what you took from me about the Castle, you'll be able to add the living members of this society to this list right here." Jake told them before he handed them a small black device.

"Why?" Veronica asked him, touched.

"I couldn't live with myself anymore, especially after Duncan contacted us, sent us pictures of his daughter, let us see her through a webcam... And when I saw what they did to you... What you were going through... I just couldn't live with myself anymore. I knew that I had to do something. I... I started seeing Lilly in my sleep, she was just like she was the day she died, but she accused me of being a monster, on doing terrible things... She accused me of being worst that Aaron Echolls... I knew that I had to do my best to stop Damian." Jake replied.

"Lilly has a way of popping up to save the day ever since she died." Veronica whispered, mostly for herself.

"I... I don't know if you'll believe me but... Damian... He's dangerous. He's... he can do things that seem... Unnatural, almost magic."

"Don't worry, we know someone who can help when it comes to magic." Oliver replied, thinking of Constantine.

"Good. I... If you have any questions, please be careful. They don't suspect me yet and I'd like it to stay this way." Jake told her.

"Of course. Thank you, Jake. I really appreciate this. I understand the danger you're putting on you and Celeste by telling us this." Veronica told him.

"I really hope you'll get better and be able to walk again Veronica. I never wanted this to happen to you... I know that I was never your father but for most of your life, I believed that I was. I care about you, your well being, even if I never really showed it. Tell me if there's anything I can do to help you and, when this is all over, if you come back to Neptune, please come and visit us. Hunter will be welcome too." Jake told her and she nodded before he left the room and the city.

"What do you want to do?" Oliver asked her.

"Call Talia and Nyssa, tell them to come as quick as possible. We'll call Raz once they get here and tell the three of them everything at the same time. We're going to Nanda Parbat in two days anyway to bathe me in the pit. I'm sure that Damian didn't choose our city out of luck, he has to have heard about me being Raz' daughter, he's doing this to hurt me, to hurt my father. In the mean time, Mac should see this. I think we should get as many people in town as we can to stop Dark and his soldiers, get the members of the League we formed to get ready to come as soon as we're ready to act." Veronica replied and so Oliver nodded and took his phone out to organise things.

This time, Hunter would go with them to Nanda Parbat and, on the way, they'd tell him the complete truth about who they were at night, they knew that he could handle the truth.

Oliver called Constantine, who was willing to listen to his plan and to help. Since he wasn't far from Nanda Parbat, he'd meet them there the day after Veronica had been dipped in the pit. He'd do whatever he could to help them kick Damian Dark's but and everyone was thankful for him because he was the only one they knew with this kind of knowledge and abilities. They had asked their vigilante friends and very few people knew anyone like this.

Hunter was especially excited about this trip to Nanda Parbat. he knew that his parents were going to tell him a very serious family secret and he was happy that they trusted him with this. He was willing to show them that he could keep the secret and that he was worthy of their trust. Plus, he got to miss school for a while longer while he went to an old fortress with his parents and his two cool aunts Nyssa and Talia.

* * *

 **This was supposed to be a normal chapter, but then it got so long that I cut it in two, the second part is the next chapter, called _Kicking Dark_.**

 **Review please?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	26. Kicking Dark

**Kicking Dark**

* * *

On the private jet, owned by the Queen family, that was getting them to Nanda Parbat, Veronica and Oliver, accompanied by Talia and Nyssa while Sara stayed to watch over Star City, did their best to explain to their adoptive son where they were going, why and, since they were telling secrets, they also told him that they were Karma and Arrow but that he had to keep the secret.

Hunter understood and he was excited to be able to meet Veronica's father and see such an old place. He was also quite proud to know that his parents were Star City's super vigilantes.

"And he can heal you? You and Nyssa and Talia's father? He has something magical that can heal you?" Hunter asked Veronica.

"Yes, a very old pit full of magical water. It's dangerous but they know what to do to make it safe." Veronica replied.

She was still very pale and weak. They had faked some papers to get her out of the hospital and told her doctors that they were going to try an experimental treatment out of the country. The doctor had protested a bit but eventually agreed that there was nothing he could do for her anyway.

"Why don't you let Veronica rest a little, Hunter? Come over here and Talia and I will tell you all about Nanda Parbat and your new adoptive grandfather." Nyssa offered and the little boy nodded, kissed his mother and rushed to his aunts to hear stories about their childhood in this ancient fortress and of his new grandfather.

Veronica knew that Nyssa was eager to see Hunter again and to spend time with him but she was glad to see that her other sister accepted him as well like a member of their family.

Knowing that the boy was fine, Veronica closed her eyes and rested, hoping that everything would go well.

.

As soon as the plane landed, they were welcomed by several members of the League, led by Raz himself. Raz hugged his daughters and, since they couldn't roll the wheelchair all the way to the fortress, members of the League carried Veronica on an ancient looking chair that she could imagine used to carry a princess a few centuries ago.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, everything will be fine. The pit will heal you quickly and then you'll be just as strong as you used to be." Raz told her on the way.

"I know, I'm not scared. Plus, it allows you to finally meet Hunter." Veronica smiled.

"Of course, I couldn't wait to meet my first grandchild." Raz nodded with a smile as he watched the little boy who walked by his side and held on to his hand naturally.

Veronica and Oliver had expected Hunter to be nervous when he met Raz but instead, he just hugged his adoptive grandfather, called him grandpa and acted like they had seen each other a dozen times before. Nyssa and Talia must have given him pointers. Raz seemed to like it and he listened attentively as Hunter told him everything about his school and the classes he liked the most. For a moment, Veronica's smile disappeared.

She was thinking about something she had done her best not to think about, about the baby she had lost in the shooting. Her baby. It could have been a boy, or a girl. Either way, it would have held on to Raz's hand, played on the floors of Nanda Parbat or Queen mansion and now, it never would. Her child would never hold her hand, would never smile at her or kiss her on mother's day. Oliver would never get to teach this child to ride a bike or to throw a ball. This child would never feel the sun on its face, it would never smell the wonderful scent of Oliver's cooking. They would never play with it.

Without realizing it, Veronica had started to cry.

"What's wrong, honey? Are you in pain?" Oliver whispered.

"No, I... I guess it's just hitting me now... Everything." She replied in a small voice and Oliver squeezed her hand softly.

"It'll be alright, I love you." he simply told her, understanding what she was talking about.

"I know. I love you." She nodded.

.

Once they had all arrived in the fortress, Raz offered to give Hunter a tour of the place and to introduce him to the League so they knew him with Nyssa and Talia while Veronica rested in her room. Then, they'd have lunch and she'd be dipped in the pit.

Oliver stayed with his wife while she rested and he rolled her chair to the room where the others were waiting for them to eat. They crossed Norris who hugged Veronica before he went back to his duties. He had apparently been a quick study and a great student. He had raised quickly in rank and was now in Raz's trusted circle, which had nothing to do with the fact that Veronica had recomanded him.

They had a small lunch and Talia helped Veronica put on a ceremonial white dress before she was carried and placed in the pit so she could be healthy again.

Of course it could be done without all the ceremony but it helped keeping the demons away, so they did it. Hunter was very interested and he stood attentively by his adoptive grandfather's side, watching as Veronica was slowly dipped into the magical water by selected members of the League and while his aunts participated in the prayer part of the ceremony.

"You still rock, Veronica Mars, well, Veronica Queen, now really. You're a Queen now, how cool is that? Anyway, everything will be alright now, you'll see." Lilly whispered to her best friend, with a smile on her face.

"Lilly?" Veronica asked.

Veronica was still lying in the water, in some sort of trans and though the people around her could hear her speak, they couldn't hear or see Lilly. Of course they all knew who Lilly was and they grew curious, wondering why the young ghost was present. After all, the last time she appeared, she warned them of a danger.

"Of course it's me, silly." Lilly smiled.

"I miss you so much." Veronica told her.

"I do too, but you don't have to. There's a way to bring me back, using my body, this very pit and someone to restore my soul like that weird hot friend of your husband's... Constantine." Lilly told her living best friend.

"Your body? You mean the one decaying in the coffin? Buried in Neptune?" Veronica asked with a frown, worrying the people around her.

"Yes. Someone, I'm not sure who but I think it's an angel or something, not that hot, told me that I'd have the power to stop people like Damian Dark if you do it the right way." Lilly nodded.

"Is it safe to do so?" Veronica asked.

"Well, your father knows of a potion that will have to be given to me as soon as I start to wake up. And you'll definitely need to have a soul restoration ceremony right after I get out of this magical hot tub or I'll be all evil demon and that's not something you want." Lilly replied.

"That's great!" Veronica exclaimed.

"But you have to think about this Veronica, because this is a one time only opportunity. You can bring me back, or you can get back the child you lost when you were shot." Lilly told her best friend.

"What do you mean? My baby is dead, gone. We can't bring it back. There's nothing left of it." Veronica replied and Oliver frowned, wondering what was going on.

"Like I said, in two days is a special moon and it can be done, or they can bring me back. You have to decide now. If you chose to save your child, they'll bring it back to your womb now, if you don't, they'll prepare to bring me back in two days." Lilly explained to her best friend.

"Oliver and I can have more children, Lilly. Do you want to come back?" Veronica asked in a soft voice.

Outside of the pit, Raz, Talia, Nyssa and Oliver looked at each other curiously.

"I do. It's lonely here. I've looked everywhere and very few people can see me. I'd like to come back." Lilly told her.

"We'll prepare for everything, Lilly." Veronica promised.

"You have to go now, see you soon, Veronica." Lilly told her with a wink before a flash of light woke up Veronica, who sat up in the pit.

"What happened in here?" Oliver asked her as he helped her out of the pit.

"Lilly, she can be brought back, kind of a once in a lifetime opportunity because of the special moon in two days and the help of some sort of angel whose name she didn't remember because he wasn't hot. She'll have the power to stop people with magic like Damian Dark." Veronica said quickly before she explained everything that Lilly had told her in the pit, including the choice she had to make.

"You made the right decision, Love." Oliver assured her.

"Nyssa, you go get the potion, you know where to go. You'll be back with plenty of time if you leave now." Raz told Nyssa who nodded and left.

"I'll call Duncan and warn him, he can arrange for Lilly's body to be brought here with the help of Argus." Oliver offered.

"I should probably call Jake and warn him too. Without him we wouldn't know about Dark and even if he can't come, he should know what's going to happen." Veronica said as she dried herself.

"I can go to Neptune meet Duncan and help to bring back the coffin. I could warn her father as I do." Norris offered.

"Thanks but I should do it myself." Veronica shook her head.

"You want to go there?" Oliver asked.

"I think so, yes." Veronica nodded.

"I'll go with you." He nodded.

"Can I stay here until you come back?" Hunter asked shyly.

"If dad agrees." Veronica smiled, looking at her father.

"Of course you can stay, this will give us the chance to get to know each other. I have a few music instruments around, maybe you'll even be able to show me what you've learned." Raz nodded with a smile.

"Constantine should arrive tomorrow, I guess he'll be able to help. It's a good thing he was going to come anyway." Oliver said.

"I'll set him up with everything he needs for the soul restauration ceremony." Raz nodded.

.

A few hours later, Veronica and Oliver stood in front of the Kane's house. She had called earlier to tell Jake that she needed to talk to him and that they didn't have much time. He promised to be at his house, with Celeste, when she arrived.

"Ready, Love?" Oliver asked her.

"Yes, I am." She nodded before she rang the doorbell.

Jake opened the door himself and showed them the way to the living room. Before she sat down, Veronica turned on a device Mac had perfected that would disturb the signal of any bug that could be listening to them.

"You look better than when I saw you in Star City." Jake told Veronica while they sat down around coffee.

"Thanks, the Lazarus pit would have that effect on someone." Veronica smiled.

"I'm glad it could help." Jake nodded.

"It's kind of related to why I'm here." Veronica started to say.

"How?" Celeste asked, speaking for the first time and doing her best not to be hostile.

"I... While I was in the pit, Lilly visited me. It's a long story, I've been seeing her once in a while ever since she died and, well, she told me that she could be brought back. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity linked with a special moon, an angel and probably the need to stop Damian Dark for a better future. Lilly would have the power to fight and defeat Damian and people like him. An Angel warned her and she warned me while I was in the pit. We've decided to do it, but I decided to come here and warn you. Duncan is on his way to retrieve Lilly's body to bring her to the pit. The people he works for have the power to do it without telling you but I felt that, since you risked your life to warn me for Dark, you deserved to know." Veronica told them.

"When?" Jake asked while Celeste was speechless.

"Tomorrow, at midnight." Oliver told them.

"You can't be there for the ceremony because of your affiliation to Damian Dark, but we can make sure she contacts you once she's back, though I'm not sure if she'll want to come all the way here..." Veronica added.

"Why wouldn't my daughter want to talk to me?" Celeste frowned.

"I'm sure you remember how things were like when she was alive. You never accepted her the way she was, after she died, you made it your mission to ruin her best friend's life, my life. You covered up her murder, making it that, without me, her murder would have gone unpunished. She's still angry about all of this." Veronica told Celeste.

"I... It's a lot to take in... Please make sure to at least tell us how it went, even if she doesn't want to talk to us." Jake asked.

"Of course." Veronica needed.

"She was 16... She'll be brought back at this age, right?" Jake asked.

"I think so, yes." Veronica shrugged, unsure.

"We'll make sure she's fine, don't worry. She won't be left to fend for herself, even if she doesn't want to go back to you." Oliver added.

"I'll set up something for her. You'll probably have to make her fake papers. When you have her name, tell me and I'll set up an account for her, with enough money. She's still our daughter after all, I want to help take care of her." Jake promised and Veronica nodded before Oliver and her left the house and rejoined the plane, where Duncan, Norris, Little Lilly and the coffin were waiting for them.

Before they had left, Celeste added that she'd have everything they had left of Lilly's brought over to the Queen family home so that their newly reborn daughter could find something familiar.

"Did everything go well?" Oliver asked them.

"Yes, no problems." Norris nodded.

"Let's do this then." Veronica declared seriously.

.

When they arrived, Little Lilly rushed to join Hunter while the adults realized that everything was ready for Lilly and her soul restauration. Constantine was present, and happy to help. He hadn't met the League but he knew enough to know that having them as friends was better than being their enemies.

"Your sisters will oversee the preparation of Lilly's body, why don't you go and rest a little?" Raz told Veronica while Oliver went to speak with his old friend.

"I think I'm too excited to rest, I'll go and train a little." Veronica shook her head.

"About that... I hope you won't be mad at me..." He started.

"What is it?"

"Hunter was bored and wanted to see how we trained and he wanted to learn a few things. I gave him an outfit and a sword. I started teaching him and promised him to teach him more if he wanted." Raz looked nervous, afraid he had crossed a line.

"Why would I be mad? You're his grandfather, the only one he has left. Some grandfathers take their grandson fishing or hunting, but it's not your style, or his. He's a special boy, very smart for his age. If he wants to learn how to fight, then I'm happy you're teaching him. Just make sure he understands that he can't show it in public. That he can't use these skills in school. And, maybe, make sure he knows that you're open to doing other things with him, like music or, I don't know, stuff." Veronica replied with a smile.

"I'd like it if he could come once in a while, during his school breaks." Raz told his daughter before he hugged her.

"Of course, we'll arrange this. I might not always be able to go with him, but I'm sure we'll be able to set up something. You could even come and visit us sometimes. I know he has a school show in a few months, we could arrange for you to come with us. I'm sure he'd love that." She nodded.

"Thanks." Raz smiled and hugged her quickly.

Once she arrived in the training room, she could see Hunter and Little Lilly both fighting with wooden swords, getting advises from a member of the league Veronica had seen before with Nyssa. Smiling at them, she motioned for another member to come and she trained a little with him, blowing some steam while, in another room, her dead best friend was getting prepared to come back.

.

When the right full moon finally rose, everything was ready and Constantine was present, helping them keep the demons at bay and prepared to go in Lilly's body to retrieve her soul later, with Veronica and Duncan. During the day, he had done a little ritual to contact the angel in contact with Lilly and he knew exactly how to help her once she was out. It would take a little while for her to be ready to use her powers against Damian Dark but the vigilantes and their friends would be able to keep him at bay until then.

Hunter and Little Lilly were not in the room, they were sleeping in another bedroom since it was well past their bedtime and nobody wanted them around if something went wrong. They'd meet Lilly in the morning, once everything was sorted. There was no need to scare them with Demon-Lilly.

When the body was brought, they had dressed it in a pretty traditional dress and she was covered with a white sheet to hide from Duncan and Veronica the current state of the young woman's body. It was something they didn't want to see. They didn't want to remember her as anything other than her cheerful and obnoxious alive self.

"Are you sure you want to stay?" Oliver asked his wife.

"Yes, she needs me. I can do it." Veronica nodded.

While the ceremony started, Veronica held on Duncan's hand while Oliver wrapped her in his arms and stood behind her. Her father was near her as well while her sisters presided over the ceremony with the high priestess.

After a while, Lilly's body sat up in the water, taking off the sheet that was covering her and she was just as pretty and lively as she used to be, except that she had an angry look on her face and her eyes were cold. She looked wild and Veronica had no trouble at all believing that a demon was inhabiting her body now.

Two men held Lilly in place while Talia force fed her the potion and, as soon as she had swallowed it, Lilly's body went limb and they laid her out of the pit and into the space that had been prepared for her soul restoration ceremony.

Constantine took his position and was joined by Duncan and Veronica, who'd go inside with him, to get Lilly's soul back. They were ready to fight and to win, knowing that Lilly was worth it.

.

It hadn't been easy, the demon had fought back but eventually, before the sun rose, Duncan, Veronica and Constantine were back and Lilly was awake, alive and herself. Everybody could see her and the first thing she did was to hug her grown up best friend and her once younger, now older, brother. Then, Veronica introduced Lilly officially to everyone, especially her beloved husband.

"I can't wait to eat again! I've been craving a pizza and a Big Belly burger for so long! Oh, and Soda!" Lilly exclaimed.

"I'm afraid we have nothing of the sort here, but we can find something good to feed you until you can eat these things." Raz offered before he gave orders for a celebrating breakfast feast to be prepared.

"Why don't you come with me, I picked up a few things for you to change into. Then you'll meet Hunter and Little Lilly." Veronica suggested.

"Sure, lead the way." Lilly nodded while Duncan went to check on the kids.

"This is going to be weird, isn't it?" Veronica asked Lilly.

"Probably a bit, yes. I mean, you're a grown up woman now. You're responsible but thankfully, you're still very cool." Lilly smiled.

"Yes, thankfully." Veronica smiled before she added.

"You said I'm responsible... It's true and this I why I'm going to bring up a subject you won't like... Your parents."

"I don't have parents anymore. I died, it's like I divorced them." Lilly frowned.

"I know how you feel about them but your father did risk his life to give us informations we needed. They deserve to at least see you once." veronica insisted.

"Do I have to?" Lilly asked in the same tone she used to complain about homework.

"I'm afraid so. Plus, your father said he'd put some money on an account for you and you do need to do some shopping." Veronica tried to convince her.

"Fine, we can stop by Neptune on our way out of this place." Lilly nodded.

"Do you know how to use your powers yet?"

"No, but I was told that Constantine would be able to help me learn how to control them." Lilly smiled.

"Then, once we leave here, we'll stop by Neptune and then go to Star City. There we'll ask Mac to create you a new identity and everything you need. Once that's done, you'll be able to follow Constantine, train and come back when you're ready. Moira suggested giving you the Queen name, saying you're a cousin or something. Or we could give you the Mars name and say you're Keith's niece." Veronica suggested.

"I think I'd like to be Lilly Mars. Keith rocked and this way his name will survive." Lilly replied with a smile before she added:

"Plus, imagine the look on Celeste's face when she finds out the name I have now!"

"It will still be friendlier than if you chose my mother's maiden name." Veronica chuckled as well.

"I'll get a cellphone to keep in touch with you, right?"

"Of course, everyone has a smartphone these days. It would be a crime if the great Lilly Kane didn't have one. You'll have to be careful though, don't post your pictures on the social media and everything. We don't want people wondering why someone who looks just like Lilly Kane is wandering around the world." Veronica smiled.

"I know, it's such a shame to deprive the world of my face and awesomeness!" Lilly joked.

"Now come on, time to meet your niece and my little brother." Veronica smiled.

"Little brother and adopted son." Lilly nodded.

"Everything alright honey?" Oliver asked Veronica when they arrived in front of the dining room.

He had been waiting in the corridor with her.

"Yes, everything's perfect." She replied with a bright smile before they kissed.

"You two are even better together than you and Duncan, Veronica. I can't believe it." Lilly declared before she walked past them and joined her brother to meet Little Lilly and Hunter.

"She seems Happy." Oliver noticed.

"I've very rarely seen Lilly upset. I mean, the only time she was not happy was when she was bitching about her mother or when Logan cheated on her." Veronica replied.

"What about you, are you happy?" he asked her.

"I am, even though it's going to be taking some getting used to." She assured him.

"Come, let's get breakfast. Later we'll call Mac to tell her which identity Lilly has chosen."

"She's agreed to stop by Neptune to see her parents, so we'll be able to call Mac from there and Jake will be able to settle the bank account for Lilly."

"Good, which name did she choose?"

"Lilly Mars." Veronica smiled, so did Oliver, who knew how important it was to his wife that her adoptive father was remembered.

.

A little after noon, everyone was ready to leave. Constantine had just left, promising to meet them in Star City in a couple of weeks to take Lilly with him and train her. Until then, he had something to take care of and, apparently, something to retrieve that would help Lilly learn to control her powers.

"Veronica, I'm going to prepare the League. As soon as you know where to find Damian, as soon as you're ready to fight him, tell me and we'll be there as soon as we can. Talia is going to Gotham, she'll be closer and she'll come too. We want to be there when you attack him, even the first time, to weaken him until Lilly's ready." Raz told his daughter as they said goodbye.

"Thanks, dad. And I'll see when Hunter can come by for a visit. I also need to get you an invitation for his school's recital." She replied.

"Take care of yourself, Veronica. The pit is at your disposal, but I'd rather not see you in there again."

"I'll try." she smiled before she hugged him.

Duncan decided to go with Veronica, Oliver, Hunter and his sister to see his parents along with his daughter. Veronica had made sue the street cameras would malfunction when they passed by it so that nobody would be able to film Lilly. To make sure that, in case someone saw, she wasn't recognized, they had her wearing a wig with short black hair and big sunglasses.

Of course Lilly was nervous but she did her best to hide it, knowing that, if things got too hard for her, the presence of Little Lilly and Hunter would allow her an escape and that her brother and Veronica would have her back and create a distraction if need be.

"Where are we meeting them?" Lilly asked, not recognizing the town anymore.

"Their new house, well, new to you, they've had it for a while now." Veronica replied.

"This town has changed a lot... in the worst way." Lilly commented as she looked outside through the window.

"I know... Some things can't be changed I guess." Veronica nodded.

When they finally arrived in front of the double gates that delimited the Kane property, they identified themselves and it opened. Hunter and his friend Little Lilly (or Lililly as he took to calling her now that Lilly was back), were comparing their classes and what they liked most in Nanda Parbat.

Already Lililly had asked her father if she'd be able to go back one day and Nyssa had assured everyone that she was welcome. Duncan had promised his daughter that she'd be able to join Hunter there next time he went, or at another date, if she wanted, as long as Raz and Nyssa agreed. Talia even made a joke saying that at this rate, Nanda Parbat would turn into a kid's vacation spot.

"What if they say something about the reason I died?" Lilly asked Veronica and Duncan in a small voice, concerned and afraid of rejection, even though she didn't care much about her parents anymore.

"They want you to keep in touch, Lilly, I don't think they'll do anything that could jeopardize this." Duncan reassured his sister while veronica nodded.

The front door of the large house opened before they opened the doors of the car. Jake and Celeste stood together, looking like the newly remarried couple they were and not the divorced one they had been for a few years now.

"Lililly, honey, why don't you go ahead and say hi to your grandparents, give your aunt some time to gather her thoughts?" Veronica suggested before she opened the door and the little girl nodded happily, grabbing Hunter's hand and rushing to introduce him to her grandparents, who were equally happy to see her but surprised to see Hunter.

The Lilly girl hugged both her grandparents and introduced Hunter to them while the adults and Lilly got out of the car. Lilly felt small all of the sudden, maybe because Veronica and Duncan, who used to be a year younger than her and to look up to her, were now older and the ones she'd have to look up to.

"Lilly! Oh my god it's really her, Jake!" Celeste exclaimed, grabbing her husband's arm in a tight grip as soon as she noticed her daughter hiding between Duncan and Veronica.

"Just as pretty as she always was." Jake smiled.

Seeing that Lilly was a bit uneasy, Jake took control of the situation.

"Why don't we all head inside, we've prepared snacks and the kids will be able to watch tv while we catch up." Jake Kane declared, forcing his wife to follow him inside and leading the way for everyone.

Lilly felt grateful for this and smiled thankfully at her father. It was true that while she was never really close to either of her parents, definitely not like Veronica had been close to Keith Mars, Lilly had always gotten along better with her father, who seemed to get her a bit more than her mother used to.

Once they were inside, Duncan hugged his mother and shook his father's hand, allowing Lilly to finally step toward her parents. Seeing her take one step in their direction broke something between her and her parents because her mother rushed to give her a hug that was very uncharacteristic of her but Lilly brushed it off and hugged her mother back. As soon as her mother let her go, she felt herself taken in another warm hug in her father's arms.

The hugs and reunion between the family took less than 15 minutes before they all found themselves sitting down around a table, with tea, coffee and snacks.

"Mom, they have a pretty piano. Lililly said it was okay to play on it, do you think I can?" Hunter came to ask Veronica, whispering it in her ear.

"Why don't you go and ask Jake, Honey? It's his house after all." She replied with a smile.

Hunter nodded and moved around to table to stand next to Jake Kane and he pulled on his elbow to get his attention.

"Yes, Hunter?" Jake asked, trying to hide how much the boy's resemblance to Leanne touched him.

"Do you think I could play on the piano you have in the other room? I promise I'll be careful, I know how to play, I learn at school." He told the man.

"I know you're learning, my granddaughter told me so. I've heard of the school you're going to and I know they only accept the best, so if you want to play on this piano, go ahead. It hasn't been played on in years." Jake smiled.

"Thanks!" Hunter replied with a big smile before he dropped a quick kiss on Jake's cheek and rushed to join his friend in the other room.

"Who knew you could be this good to kids!" Lilly exclaimed before she could stop herself.

"Things change." Jake replied.

"Yes, I never thought my parents would go so far as to join an organization like Damian Dark's and be responsible for so many deaths!" Lilly replied back.

"Lilly..." Veronica warned her.

"I know, I know. I'm trying to play nice." Lilly nodded before she stopped talking, making her parents smile in nostalgie.

"So, Mac has just sent me the details of Lilly's new identity. She chose her new last name. It was Lilly's choice." Veronica assured before she handed Jake a piece of paper on which the name Lilly Mars was written, along with her new social security number, chosen birth date, bank account number and cell phone number.

"Mars?" Celeste asked out loud with a frown while Jake didn't react.

"Yes, such a great man's name deserved to be remembered and carried on." Lilly replied, looking her mother right in the eyes, as if to dare her to complain.

"I get it, I think it's a great idea." Jake nodded.

"You could have gone with my maiden name." Celeste tried to suggest.

"Or Leanne's. I could have gone with Lilly Reynolds." Lilly smirked and Duncan tried to hide his amusement while his mother looked her usual annoyed self.

"I'll make sure you have enough money on your account that you don't ever want for anything. Lilly, honey, please, I know it's hard and you're angry at us but try not to shut us completely out of your life. Please. Even if you just send us a text once in a while to tell us that you're fine, it would make us happy." Jake declared.

Lilly didn't answer but nodded.

"Do you... Do you know when you'll go up against Damian?" Jake asked Veronica.

"Lilly won't be able to fight him just yet, she needs time to train but we'll delay him before that. We'll plan an attack on his facility with all the people we can gather. We won't kill him but it'll weaken him and give us time to train Lilly. In the mean time, he'll think he's safe and that he's fooled us." Veronica nodded.

"With Oliver's strangely hot friend." Lilly nodded.

"That's so wrong, I didn't hear that." Oliver shook his head with a frown while Veronica and Duncan chuckle.

"Just so you know, Thea also thinks Constantine is hot." Veronica told her husband.

"I don't need to know that." He shook his head.

They stayed with the Kane's for a while longer before they all headed back to Star city.

"Veronica, I know that Amanda Waller won't allow Argus to get involved with this, but Lila and I can assemble a small team to help you, you just have to ask." Duncan told Veronica on the private jet getting them back in town.

"A suicide squad?" Veronica asked him.

"Why not? Lila and I are highly ranked, actually, if Waller passed, Lila would take over as number 1 and I'd become number 2." Duncan commented.

"Kind of makes you hope." Oliver argued, having never liked Amanda Waller much.

"Who would you put on your team? That hot Cupid chick that loves Oliver? Or that hot Deadshot guy that killed Diggle's brother?" Lilly asked her brother.

"Why does everyone has to be hot?" Duncan rolled his eyes.

"Hey, I don't mind if you bring Captain Boomerang too, as long as you have a few hot guys on the team." Lilly chuckled, making them all smile.

"Anyway, using a suicide squad would only bring us trouble, if we come, it would be with our own agents, men and women who'd volunteer to help out on their own time." Duncan replied.

"We'll probably be fine. The Flash and his team will come, plus all the other vigilantes and superheroes we've contacted. It will probably be enough to delay Dark and make him think that he's won." Veronica shook her head.

"Plus the League who's on their way too." Oliver added.

"True." Duncan nodded.

.

When they arrived, they went home quickly, to change and so Hunter could rest and be safe with Moira and Thea. They introduced them both to Lilly, while Lilly spent some time with Thea, they went in their lair to contact the people that could help and inform them that they'd strike an attack on Dark in two days. Of course most of them replied immediately that they'd be there. A few of them took a while longer to answer and Aquaman couldn't make it, he had a "bigger fish to fry", but they were confident that they'd be fine, especially since Mac would be able to help them by literally entering the computer system.

Constantine would arrive the day after the fight to take Lilly with him and train her. They didn't know how long it would take to get Lilly ready to fight Damian Dark but they'd do it. Until then, Thea had volunteered to help get Lilly back in touch with the real world, technology and things girls her age usually liked and knew.

"You know that you'll eventually have to go back to school, right? At least finish High school?" Veronica asked Lilly a few hours before her hero friends and her would attack Damian Dark's facility.

Most of the people they had contacted were already present, including Raz Al Ghul and a large number of his best warriors. Talia was there as well, and she had brought her own warriors with her to help her new little sister.

"I know, and I will. As soon as I've done what I was brought back for I'll find a place to settle down and finish High school." Lilly promised before she added:

"You'll be careful tonight, right?"

"I always am." Veronica nodded.

"Good, because now that I'm back, you can't die." Lilly smiled.

.

Their plan was solid. They'd cover all the exits and entrances of the facility and their set of skills were so wide that they knew they'd stop everyone without having to cause any death.

They had coordinated with the police to evacuate the area of civils and, in less than 3 hours, they were done. Dark had run away, weakened, but his entire organisation had been stopped by the heroes. They had put aside all the persons who only followed him because of the drugs they were given and they'd try to reprogram them. Diggle had been surprised to see his brother, who he thought dead, but before he could even try to reach out to him and give him a chance, his brother had killed himself.

Talia followed Bruce back to Gotham while Raz and Nyssa went back home to Nanda Parbat, promising to be back on time to see Hunter's next recital.

Two days had passed since the fight had been over and Veronica was telling Lilly goodbye, knowing that Constantine would take good care of her and help her control her powers.

"Keep in touch and don't forget to ask if you need anything." Veronica told her.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine and soon we'll be able to stop this Damian Dark for good. Then I promise I'll go back to school and make a life for myself." Lilly told her best friend while Oliver spoke with Constantine.

"I know. Be careful." Veronica smiled.

A few minutes later, Constantine and Lilly were driving off and Veronica was left in Oliver's arms.

"John Constantine sure has his hands full with her now." Veronica chuckled.

"A lot has happened lately... Are you sure you're alright, honey?" Oliver asked his wife.

"I am. Strangely, I think that Lilly being back helped me deal with the loss of our baby. What about you? How do you feel about this?" She asked him.

"We'll have more children. We're happy and strong enough to face anything that comes our way. I'm sad of course, but I'm happy that you're healthy and still here with me. I feel lucky that you're in my life." he told her with a smile.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Veronica. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you." Oliver said before he kissed her and guided her inside were they'd get ready to drive Hunter back to his school, stopping on the way to have lunch with Barry.

* * *

 **Sorry for the time it's taking me, life is getting in the way and I have a hard time finding inspiration to finish some stories. Plus, I'm pregnant with my first child and preparing for the little one is taking a lot out of me.**

 **Review please?**

 **I have two more chapters planned, though I can't promise they'll be published anytime soon. The last chapter I have planned might be the last one, or it might not. I might get inspired for me later we'll see. In the mean time, this story who was meant to be a one-shot sure has grown a lot.**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


End file.
